Oxalis 'Shamrock Plant' Care

Most plant purchases at Green Lady Gardens come with a very detailed card on how to care for that particular plant. If we don't have one, we are always able to give you care advice. Since we only sell Oxalis sp. seasonally, we do not have care cards. But we do have this great slideshow! Read below & visit our Instagram page so you can save the slideshow & reference it post purchase!

Save this slideshow from our Instagram account & easily share it with others.

Light

Bright indirect. Can handle a few hours of direct but watch for scorching & make sure it doesn't get too hot. (See 'temperature'.) Oxalis dance with the light. In addition to leaning toward the sun, the leaves open during the day & close at night. If your plant doesn't do this, it needs more light. Too low of light = plant may wilt, die back, & go dormant.

Water

Water thoroughly when about 50% dry or when plant wilts a bit. Bottom watering works best. Overwatering = black stems, plant collapses. Underwatering = wilting, brown leaves, plant goes dormant.

Humidity

Nothing special to know here!

Dormancy

Oxalis grow from bulbs, which means they need dormancy to thrive. Dormancy can happen in the summer or fall, every year or every few years, & can last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months depending on the Oxalis variety. After blooming, your plant may yellow & look like it is dying. Cut the stems at the soil line, stop watering, & move it to lower light. When new shoots appear, move it to bright light, resume watering, & fertilize lightly. Oxalis may enter dormancy if it is underwatered, the light is inadequate, or it gets too hot.

Temperature

55°-70°. If consistently too hot (mid-70s), your plant will start to look ragged. May go dormant in temps over 80°.

Potting & Soil

Almost never needs to be repotted. But, if you do repot, do so during dormancy. Ensure pot has drainage. A standard indoor potting soil that contains peat & perlite is adequate.