Yellow Wood Sorrel, Common yellow oxalis, Common Yellow Wood Sorrel, Oxalis
Oxalis stricta

Family: Oxalidaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer, Mid fall. Form: Upright or erect.

Oxalis stricta is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate. It is in flower from July to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Dry open soils. Prefers impoverished soils, growing in abandoned fields, roadsides etc.

Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Florida and Texas. E. Asia. A rare introduction in Britain.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Leaves - raw or cooked. A nice acid flavour, the leaves can also be chewed as a thirst quencher. Use in moderation, see notes at top of sheet, Flowers - raw. Added to salads. Young seedpods - raw. Root. No further details. A lemon-flavoured drink is made from the leaves.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Medicine

Rating: 1

An infusion of the plant has been used in the treatment of fevers, stomach cramps and nausea. A poultice of the plant has been used to treat swellings.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 1

A yellow to orange dye can be obtained by boiling up the whole plant.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

How it is grown

Easily grown in a sandy soil in a warm dry position. Very closely related to O. corniculata, and seen as no more than a variety of that species by some botanists. This variety differs from O. corniculata by stems erect, not rooting at nodes; branched or not. Special Features: North American native, Invasive, Naturalizing, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have enough seed it can be sown in situ during the spring.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; South Wall. In. West Wall. In.

Habit: Annual

Hardiness: 0-0

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavour. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. The quantity of oxalic acid will be reduced if the leaves are cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

O. dillenii.