St. Patrick ’s Day would n’t be the same without the Oxalis acetosella , but the real lesser yellow trefoil ( Trifoliumspp . ) is not a plant that can hold weak condition , so another plant — not a straight " shamrock " but one that has like machine characteristic — has seize its place . This is wood sorrel ( Oxalisspp.),and it is the plant life widely touted and deal as " shamrock " during March , the season of St. Patrick ’s Day .
Because wood sorrel ( USDA hardiness zones 3 to 11 ) is loosely available and masquerades successfully as Trifolium dubium , this is the industrial plant most people have . So , here ’s how to like for oxalis , but first , what was that material shamrock again ?
The Real Shamrock: Is That a 4-Leaf Clover?
The material Irish shamrock is the three - leaf clover ( Trifolium dubium ) . As everyone love , if you ever find a 4 - leafage trefoil , the graven image have blessed you with good luck , because those are regain only once in about every 10,000 trefoil .
The legend has it that Saint Patrick used the three - leaf trefoil to constitute the Holy Trinity , and now the common wood sorrel heralds bounce , a season of Renaissance . In the U.S. , the four - leaf clover is used in various ways , among them as the logo for 4 - H baseball club , symbolise head , substance , hand and wellness .
Growing a clover is a tough feat , especially indoors . They need restrained temperature , so if it ’s too warm or too moth-eaten , they become tall-growing and thin . They also require extremely bright lightness , another factor that makes growing them as houseplant difficult . As a final result , Trifolium dubiumis seldom available for purchase by home gardeners .
The False Shamrock Plant: Wood Sorrel
Do n’t let the terminus " sour " unknown the wood rozelle industrial plant ’s time value in the landscape or as a houseplant . TheOxalisgenus includes more than 800 species , growing across the human race on every continent except Antarctica . The leaves are triangular or heart - shaped in a mountain range of colors , including purple , pink , fleeceable , silver and burgundy .
The majestic shamrock plant ( Oxalis triangularis , zone 8 to 11 ) is one of the most popular shamrocks , with its blank prime , pinkish or lavender leaves and green stems . The cultivarOxalis purpurea(zones 9 to 10 ) , also known as purple wood sorrel , has large pinkish blossom and is a aborigine of South Africa .
Caring for a Shamrock Plant
count on the kind , oxalis can be grow directly in your garden or as an indoor industrial plant .
Oxalis plantspropagateby underground rhizomes , but most desirable varieties usable to the home gardener are warm - love works , so you may need to lift them in the twilight to replant in the spring if you want them to winter over successfully . You candivide the rhizomesto create additional plants before replant .
Tip
Shamrocks have no serious disease problems but might attract whitefly or aphids .
Growing Shamrock in the Landscape
Grow shamrock outside in the garden only if you live in a hardiness zona recommended for your variety of plant life .
opt a placement in full Dominicus to partial shade . Wood sorrel plant are not picky about territory pH and can ordinarily manage from 6.0 to 8.0 pH. works them in well - draining filth from 12 inches to 3 feet apart , depending on the assortment , so take after the directions on your plant life ’s rag . Water on a regular basis to ensure even moisture .
When originate outdoors , oxalis plants rarely demand fertilizing but may benefit from a balanced fertilizer during the grow time of year .
Growing Shamrock as a Houseplant
When growing Oxalis acetosella in a container , take high - timber potting grime and a mass with good drain . common wood sorrel need undimmed lightness , so place it in a Confederacy - facing windowpane . An sorrel grow as a houseplant postulate cool consideration , ideally no warmer than 75 ° F during the daylight but no cold than 50 ° farad at Nox .
When farm indoors , it need a humid environs . Because it ’s rugged to keep humidity indoors , consider using a humidifier ; instead , set the tidy sum on a bed of wet pebbles . sustain regular moisture ; when the potting mixture is dry 1 column inch down , water well but avoid overwatering .
shamrock require regular fertilizing during their growing time of year . For honorable termination , apply a liquid fertilizer once a calendar month .
Shamrock Dormancy
Some Oxalis acetosella salmagundi may course go hibernating after flowering , especially when it is too hot or dry . If the leave start out to die back , stop watering and fertilizing and allow the industrial plant to " rest . "
If the plant is growing indoors , move it to a darker positioning . Purple - leaved types usually require a dormancy period of about one month , while others may want two to three months .
When novel growth appear , resume regular plant precaution .
