Oxalis corniculata

RHS Plant Profile
creeping wood sorrel

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creeping wood sorrel RHS
creeping wood sorrel RHS
creeping wood sorrel RHS

Other common names

creeping oxalis, creeping yellow oxalis, nasturtium wood sorrel, procumbent yellow sorrel, procumbent yellow wood sorrel

Herbaceous Perennial

A ground-hugging perennial with branched, creeping stems, small, clover-like leaves, varying from bright mid-green to dark red-purple. Small, yellow, five-petalled flowers are followed by upright, five-ribbed seed pods

Position

Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full shade Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing or North–facing
Exposure
Exposed or 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
No
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

Seeds and spreads rapidly on paths, walls, waste and cultivated ground. May have the potential to become a nuisance in lawns, beds and borders, tubs and pots and greenhouses if not well managed. See oxalis for more information

Propagation

Spreads mostly by seed, though stems also root at the nodes

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free