Oxalis corniculata, also known as creeping woodsorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Oxalis family. Its stem is upright or creeping, fragile and well-branched.
Roots sprout from nodes on the creeping stem; leaves sprout from the base or alternate on the stem; stipules are small, elliptical or oval-shaped; flowers are solitary or a few gathered in an umbel-like cluster, with a pale red peduncle, yellow petals, elliptical or oval-shaped, and semi-transparent white stamens; the capsule is almost cylindrical, ribbed, and softly hairy; seeds are flat and oval-shaped, brown or reddish-brown; it flowers and fruits from February to September.
Creeping woodsorrel enjoys a sunny, warm, and moist environment. It is suitable for semi-shade in hot areas during summer, has a strong drought resistance, and cannot tolerate cold. It can generally grow in any garden soil, but thrives in sandy loam rich in organic matter, with a short dormant period in summer. Creeping woodsorrel propagates via rootstock and seeds.
Creeping woodsorrel has the effect of clearing heat and dampness, cooling the blood and dispersing stasis, and detoxifying and reducing swelling. It has good antibacterial properties and can inhibit many bacteria.
Creeping woodsorrel is an excellent ground cover plant for landscaping. Its tender stems and leaves can be served cold or made into soup. Its taste is pure, thick, and sour, refreshing and appetizing. The stems and leaves of creeping woodsorrel contain oxalic acid, which can be used to polish copper mirrors and other copperware to make them shiny and bright.
It is found on mountain slopes, grassy pools, along rivers, roadsides, fields, wasteland, or damp places under the forest. It is widespread in China, and also distributed in the temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, Mediterranean, and North America. It is found in grass clumps, mountain slopes, grassy pools, roadsides, fields, wasteland, river valleys, and damp places under forests.
Creeping woodsorrel is a herbaceous plant, 10-35 cm tall, and covered with soft hairs throughout. The rootstock is slightly thick. The stem is weak and well-branched, upright or creeping, with roots sprouting from nodes on the creeping stem.
Leaves sprout from the base or alternate on the stem; stipules are small, elliptical or oval-shaped, and densely covered with soft hairs along the edge, fused at the base with the petiole, or stipules on the same plant are prominent at the lower part but not evident at the upper part; the petiole is 1-13 cm long with a joint at the base; leaflets are three, sessile, heart-shaped, 4-16 mm long, 4-22 mm wide, with the apex indented, the base is broad wedge-shaped, covered with soft hairs on both sides or hairless on the surface, hairs along the veins are denser, and the edge has appressed marginal hairs.
Flowers are solitary or a few form an umbel-like cluster, axillary, with a pale red peduncle nearly as long as the leaves; the flower stem is 4-15 mm long, extending after fruiting; there are two small bracteoles, lanceolate, 2.5-4 mm long, membranous; sepals are five, lanceolate or elliptical-lanceolate, 3-5 mm long, with soft hairs on the back and edges, persisting; there are five petals, yellow, elliptical or oval-shaped, 6-8 mm long, 4-5 mm wide; ten stamens, semi-transparent white filaments, sometimes with sparse short soft hairs, fused at the base, arranged in alternate lengths, the longer ones have larger and earlier mature anthers; the ovary is elliptical, five-chambered, with short appressed hairs, and five styles, the stigma is capitate.
The capsule is elongated cylindrical, 1-2.5 cm long, 5-angled. Seeds are elongated oval-shaped, 1-1.5 mm long, brown or reddish-brown, with transverse ribbed reticulations. Flowers and fruits from February to September.
It prefers sunny, warm, and moist environments, and is suitable for semi-shade in hot areas during the summer. It has strong drought resistance, cannot tolerate cold, and needs to be cultivated in a greenhouse in winter in North China.
South of the Yangtze River, it can stand in the open, prefers damp environments, has strong adaptability to soil, and can grow in any general garden soil. However, it thrives in sandy loam rich in organic matter and has a short dormant period in summer. It blooms when the sun is extremely bright.
Creeping woodsorrel, a perennial herbaceous plant from the Oxalis family, grows in clusters, and is 15-20 cm tall. It blooms continuously from spring to autumn, with the most vibrant blooms during the cool spring and autumn.
Due to its low height, fast growth, long blooming period, and spectacular bloom, it is widely used in landscape greening. The following aspects should be noted during the cultivation and management of creeping woodsorrel:
Creeping woodsorrel prefers well-drained sandy soil and clay is not conducive to its growth, so the soil should be appropriately replaced. When preparing the land, apply organic fertilizer, compound fertilizer, sieve finely, rake flat, compact, and maintain a slope of about 5 degrees for drainage.
Creeping woodsorrel fears waterlogging, so make sure to leave enough drainage outlets to avoid water accumulation during the rainy season.
Creeping woodsorrel germinates early and sheds leaves late, so it is suitable for planting in early spring and late autumn. Do not transplant during the blooming period, and the planting distance should be 15×15 cm. Water thoroughly after planting, it is easy to survive and blooms as soon as it germinates, showing effects within the same year.
It is best to use spray irrigation or drip irrigation, avoid flooding, and keep the soil moist but not wet, which is conducive to the growth of creeping woodsorrel.
The growth of creeping woodsorrel is dense, and the lower part has poor ventilation and light penetration. In high temperature and humidity, powdery mildew can occur, and the leaves may turn yellow and rot. You can spray fungicides like triazolone and tolclofos-methyl. In addition, red spider mites start to cause damage from the beginning of May.
As the leaves of creeping woodsorrel are dense, control is difficult, so prevention is essential. Begin spraying acaricides when the temperature rises in April, do not wait until a large outbreak of red spider mites to start prevention.
During land preparation, sift out the grass roots to reduce weeds. Strengthen management in the spring to enable rapid growth of the lawn and enhance competition with weeds. Remove a small amount of germinating weeds in time, pull out any weeds as soon as they appear. With good management throughout the year, weeds will no longer grow.
Creeping woodsorrel can be propagated through perennial root propagation and seed propagation.
The whole plant can be used medicinally. It can relieve heat, promote urination, reduce swelling, and disperse stasis. The stems and leaves contain oxalic acid, which can be used to polish mirrors or brassware, giving them a shine. If cattle and sheep eat too much, they can be poisoned and die.
Creeping woodsorrel is an excellent ground cover plant for landscape greening.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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