Oxalis melanosticta 'Ken Aslet'

RHS Plant Profile
black-spotted wood sorrel 'Ken Aslet'

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Synonyms

Oxalis purpurea 'Ken Aslet'

Award of Garden Merit
Alpine Rockery Bulbs
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A small mat-forming plant up to 10cm tall in flower, with felty, pale green, trefoil leaves covered with silvery hairs and funnel-shaped, bright lemon-yellow flowers just above the leaves, in autumn, dormant in summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0-0.1 metre

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0-0.1 metre
Max Height
Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral or Alkaline

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–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
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained, nutrient poor soil in full sun in a sheltered position, or in an alpine house in a mixture of equal parts loam, leaf mould and grit

Propagation

Propagate by seed or division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants
  • 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