Oxalis acetosella

RHS Plant Profile

common wood sorrel

Other common names

alleluia, cuckoo bread, cuckoo meat, cuckoo sorrel, cuckooflower, fairy bells, French sorrel, gowk meat, hallelujah, hearts, lady's clover, little gentle one, marsh clover, sleeping beauty, sleeping clover, sleeping Molly, sow trefoil, St Cecilia's flower, St Patrick's cross, stabwort, stubwort, wood sorrel, wood sower, suran-y-coed

Bulbs Herbaceous Perennial

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A rhizomatous spreading perennial up to 10cm in height when in flower, with leaves of three heart-shaped, folded green leaflets. Among the leaves delicate flower stems bear single, funnel-shaped white flowers with fine pink veins, from spring to midsummer

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Sand, Loam, Clay

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Sand Loam Clay

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Oxalidaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Matforming
Genus: Oxalis can be annuals or perennials, with fibrous, bulbous or rhizomatous rootstocks, palmately divided leaves and funnel-shaped or bowl-shaped flowers that mostly close in dull weather and at night
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil in dappled shade

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring; small sections of rhizome root easily with bottom heat or from seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Banks and slopes
Ground cover

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails outdoors

Diseases

May be susceptible to rust diseases