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Blackspot Sorrel

Oxalis melanosticta

Blackspot Sorrel
Photo: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0

Blackspot Sorrel is a small tuberous (bulbous) oxalis from the southwestern Cape of South Africa, grown for its clover-like leaves and cheerful flowers. It is best kept in bright conditions with a dry winter rest.

Family
Oxalidaceae (Oxalid family)
Grows as
Bulb
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water freely during active growth in spring and autumn, then keep nearly dry while the plant is dormant in summer.
Soil
Free-draining sandy or gritty mix with some organic matter.
Temperature
10–25 °C; protect from frost.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Contains soluble oxalates, which can irritate the mouth and stomach if eaten in quantity.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
SW. Cape Prov.
Climate
subtropical

About

Oxalis melanosticta, the black-spotted wood sorrel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae, native to the southwestern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Its cultivar 'Ken Aslet' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Other Oxalis plants

Wood-sorrel · Silver Shamrock · Barrelier's woodsorrel · Creeping woodsorrel · Scurvygrass · Crimson woodsorrel · Broadleaf woodsorrel · Nieuwoudtville Sorrel · Mountain woodsorrel · Redwood-sorrel · Bermuda buttercup · Purple woodsorrel

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Oxalis melanosticta by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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