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Shamrocks (Oxalis)

31 Comments on Shamrocks (Oxalis)»

1. If the edges of my Shamrock are turning brown, what does that mean? It is growing and seems to do well except for the browning. Thanks

   It may be a watering problem. Too much or not enough. Another factor is too much or too little nutrients. If it is actively growing and the plant hasn’t been fertilized, add diluted fertilizer with your water once a wk. If you are fertilizing and the edges are brown, elliminate fertilization. Low light and humidity can also cause brown edges. If the leaves are dying back (getting less and no flowers) chances are that your shamrock is starting to go dormant until the next growing season.

   Comment by Marilyn Bradley — 5/6/2005 @ 10:26 am

2. My shamrocks at home are turning brown, too. The ones I have at work at beautifully vibrant, green and red. What should I do? I don’t want to lose the ones I have at home. Thanx! Kim, San Antonio

   They may be going dormant. Different varieties have different growing seasons. In general the spring blooming shamrocks start new growth in the fall. Summer bloomers start next spring. After blooming, some require a rest period and start to decline in leaf production. When this happens reduce the watering until you finally stop watering completely. Let the bulbs stay cool and dry until the next growing season in this case fall. Perhaps the ones at home are not getting the same amount of light and care. Try a different location and lightly fertilize. Perhaps this will stimulate new growth.

   Comment by Kim — 5/11/2005 @ 4:36 pm

3. I have had a shamrock for about 5 years in an African Violet pot (self watering). It has bloomed very rarely and now has green spots on it’s beautiful deep purple leaves. I keep it in a well-lighted area but not in direct sunlight. The water in the reservoir always has Liquid Miracle Grow plan food in it. Please help!
   Thanks, Susan

   It’s hard to determine what the problem is. A purple oxalis requires less light than a green one. Have you recently moved the plant to a different location? Depending on the formula of the miracle grow, a constant supply may give you leaves at the expense of flowers. Has your oxalis ever gone dormant? Indoors, purple shamrocks can go dormant 3-4 wks. This can happen 2-3times /year.

   Comment by Susan Gunn — 6/16/2005 @ 11:00 am

4. To Dawn B: we too had problems with drooping long stemmed leaves and blossoms .we fashioned a four legged affair topped by a thin square of scrap panneling with a circular 8″ dia hole. we slit a old garden hose to line the edge for friendly corners. hose length Pi x dia , roughly 3x10 in or case.the legs were 3/4 sq wood stock screwed to bottom of the sq. panel,they are 2-3″ longer than depth of pot. we lowered the pot thr u the hole from above ,the rounded edge collared the stems ever so gently.good luck .it worked swell for us

   Comment by theodore B — 6/18/2005 @ 3:27 am

5. My Shamrock Plant is doing well - except it has somehow has attracted these small gnat-like insects. How can I get rid of these? I was thinking of handling it systemically with a product?

   You may have fungus gnat-grayish small black flies. They live in moist soil and feed on decaying organic material-the result of overwatering and possibly “older soil". One approach to controlling them is to allow the soil to dry out for several days. The larvae live in the top layer of the soil and once its dry they die and the adults have no place to lay their eggs. There are also biological controls such as parasitic nematodes, predatory mites and Gnatrol (B.T. var. israelensis). The use of a soil drench is also recommended but be sure to check the label for houseplant use. For more info check TAMU.edu/ext

   Comment by Jean Evans — 7/5/2005 @ 12:38 pm

6. Question: my purple shamrock plant is a few years old and is dormant, I think, for the first time. I’ve stopped watering for the most part and keep the room dark. I’m noticing that the corms are sticking out well above the soil line and the leaves don’t look very healthy. I don’t want the plant to die - what should I do? Thanks!

   Do nothing at this time. The leaves will dry up and this is normal when the plant goes to dormancy. There are several kinds of Oxalis that have different blooming times. If yours bloomed in the spring then new growth should start in the fall. Summer blooming plants start in spring and fall blooming in July/Aug. Replant it in fresh soil a few months. Start to water lightly and it should start to grow again.

   Comment by tyler — 7/19/2005 @ 6:25 am

7. My indoor shamrock plants have developed white and brown spots over all the leaves. Is there a way to treat this problem?

   It’s hard to tell without a picture. They have few pest and diseases. One disease that they do get is Shamrock chlorotic ring spot which is transmitted by an insect (aphid). There is no treatment and it will eventually kill the plant.

   Comment by Karen — 7/28/2005 @ 6:38 am

8. Are the white tubers stemming from the corms of the purple Oxalis viable for planting/flourishing or should I toss them after harvesting the corms? Are they poisonous (oxalic acid)?

   The white tuberous roots can also be planted. Oxalis is listed as having low toxicity level. The more you eat the sicker you’ll get. I don’t recommend you eat any of it. Check www.ces.ncsu.edu for more info on poisonous plants.

   Comment by Lisa — 9/10/2005 @ 5:51 pm

9. I assume my plant is going dormant right now, but the soil looks very dry if I don’t water it once a day, even though my plant still looks healthy. How do I know when I should stop watering it?

   When the plant starts to produce less leaves and smaller leaves indicates that it is going dormant. Reduce watering gradually and stop when there are no leaves or just a few present.

   Comment by Holly — 10/13/2005 @ 9:05 am

10. my oxalis needs to be repotted. all i read so far has not mentioned how deep to set the corms. please inform me of any rule of thumb.

    Plant them 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep. They should be covered with 1 inch of soil. A 6 inch pot can hold 6-9 tubers.

    Comment by deborah — 1/7/2006 @ 8:48 pm

11. I have had a purple oxalis plant for several months. When it was purchased, it had about 4 leaves and a few flowers. A few more leaves grew, the flowers fell off, and now for the past several months there have been only 6 leaves. I water it frequently and live in a low light apartment. What should I do to make it grow again? Thank you.

    Sounds like your plant needs a dormant period some need a rest to re-energize. Let it dry out and keep it in a cool,dark place for a month, then bring it out, replant and start to water it. Perhaps that will get it out of the slump its been.

    Comment by Jeanne K — 1/28/2006 @ 3:05 pm

12. My purple oxalis has been flowering for nine months. Recently, new leaves are much paler in color and die off. Yet, it continues to flower. What could be going on? I tend to water the plant only when soil is dry and leaves start to droop. It seems to do best that way. Am I doing right by the plant? It has a western exposure.

    It sounds like you are doing everything correctly. It might just need a rest and is slowing down to get to a dormant stage. See above question.

    Comment by Robert Angelson — 1/30/2006 @ 10:31 am

13. My poor purple shamrock now only has one stem left. I’ve had it for about 3 years, and it seems to go up and down from an abundance of leaves and flowers to just a few. I assume that is typical because it always bounces back. This time, I’m not so sure because there’s no sign of new growth. Is there anything I can do to save it, or is it time to look for a new one? This was my favorite plant!

    Your shamrock needs a rest/vacation. I know its a bad time -especially before St. Patricks day. Let it go dormant for 2-3 months-stop watering and put the pot in a cool, dark place(see above suggestions). When you bring it back out and it starts to grow again, put it in a sunny location and feed it with a houseplant fertilizer.

    Comment by Nicole — 2/16/2006 @ 8:23 pm

14. My 10 year old shamrock has developed whitish, grayish spots that seem to be fungal in nature. When new leaves appear, they are perfect, but soon “catch” the fungus from existing leaves. There are no aphids, flies or other insects that I can observe. Otherwise the plant seems to be healthy, and produces abundant white flowers. Any solution to my problem?

    Shamrocks don’t have too many disease or pests. From your discription it can be Shamrock chlorotic ring spot caused by a virus that was transmitted by an aphid. Eventhough there are no aphids that you can see, it could have been “infected” at another time when the plant was in a weakened state. There is nothing you can do for this virus.

    Comment by Rose Schlosser — 2/28/2006 @ 12:05 pm

15. I am going to replant my “Shamrock” or Oxalis and have never did it before and I have a few questions. You mentioned the planting depth should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep but do you plant the “Tuber” or “Rhizome” vertical or horizontal in the pot?? Kind of a weird question but I really dont want to kill my little friend. Oh, do you seperate the little seeds off of the tuber as well and plant the seeds that that way? My Sham and I would appreciate your help and I have bookmarked your page for future referances. Thanks for the help.

    Poke them into the soil, you don’t have to worry which side is up, they will grow from any position. I would leave the “little seeds” on the tuber so they have a chance to get bigger.

    Comment by Dave — 3/14/2006 @ 12:21 pm

16. How long will it take for a dormant shamrock to start to grow, and how can I tell if it is dormant or just dead?

    They can be dormant for 1-3 months. Keep them in a cool, dry environment. Check the corms to see if they are firm.

    Comment by Gary — 3/30/2006 @ 1:46 am

17. Do purple shamrocks, if planted outside, spread as bad as green shamrocks?

    The purple oxalis (Oxalis regnelli, triangularis) is not considered invasive. They will spread by bulbs, runners and seeds but at a slower rate than the green oxalis.

    Comment by Dewey Elliott — 4/1/2006 @ 8:43 am

18. I recently moved and after being in my new apartment for two weeks I have started noticing yellow, greenish spots that look almost “sprayed” on the leaves of my very healthy Shamrocks! Could this be chlorotic ring spotting?
    Is it possible it came from something off of the dusty blinds in the new place? Will my other plants near it get infected too?
    Thanks!

    It’s hard to tell without seeing it. If the new leaves are coming up normal then it could have been some kind of chemical exposure that spotted your leaves. Is the plant still producing lots of leaves or are they slowly decreasing? If so your shamrock may be going dormant

    .

    Comment by Robyn Maitland — 4/17/2006 @ 4:42 pm

19. how long does it take for bulbs to sprout? Planted mine 2 weeks ago and nothing yet…using peat pellets and keeping moist, but not saturated, am I doing this correctly? Oh, and plenty of light during the day and temps are within acceptable limits…

    I’m not sure how long it takes to sprout but I would think that it needs some time to develop a root system. It sounds like you are doing everything right just watch the watering not too much or the corm will rot. Be patient. Some things are worth waiting for.

    Comment by roninofako — 4/25/2006 @ 1:37 pm

20. I have small baby oxalis growing out from the top of my flowers on my Triangularis what do I do with them , can I just pot them up? etc thanks for any help re this question

    You can repot them or place them in the existing pot to grow with the rest of the plant.

    Comment by GILLIAN HOLT — 4/28/2006 @ 4:12 am

21. I posted a comment weeks ago saying that I had moved and my shamrocks were spotting and seemingly dying quickly…
    I just wanted to update you and tell you that I continued to pull the spotted stalks and then had to go out of town for a few days - when I returned, I found them healthy again and thriving!
    Thanks for your help Robyn Maitland

    Hooray!That’s great!

    Comment by Robyn Maitland — 5/1/2006 @ 6:16 pm

22. CUpdate on my shamrock - all the leaves died and now I have 10 new leaves )
    One question - my plant had an upper layer of moss which I removed so some of the corms are exposed slightly above the soil - shall I add some soil to cover the corms or is it ok for them to be exposed?

    Slightly exposed corms are ok, if you add a bit of soil (1/2 inch) on top of them they will benefit from additonal nutrients in the soil.

    Comment by LISA — 6/8/2006 @ 6:20 pm

23. I HAVE A PURPLE SHAMROCK AND THE LEAVES ARE SO LONG AND THEY’RE DROOPING NOT MATTER HOW MUCH OR HOW LITTLE I WATER THEM. SOMEONE TOLD ME TO CUT THEM ALL DOWN AND THEY’LL COME BACK. IS THIS TRUE? I’M AFRAID I’LL KILL IT IF I CUT IT BACK.

    When the leaves are tall and lanky they either need more sun or they are too warm (temps over 75 degrees)

    Comment by kim — 10/4/2006 @ 11:08 pm

24. Shamrocks (Oxalis) Can anyone tell me if the sap from the common Oaxlis could make skin burn &tingle? Inadvertantly got some sap(i think) on my lip whilst weeding today. Very unpleasant!! Shiona

    Oxalis is listed as having low toxicity level. The oxalic acid gives that unpleasant taste. Check www.ces.ncsu.edu for more info on poisonous plants.

    Comment by Shiona — 10/14/2006 @ 11:05 pm

25. Shamrocks (Oxalis)I have had a purple oxalis in my front garden for years and have basically ignored it. It comes back bigger and better every year. This year I have noticed that the leaves have an orange spots on their underside. What is this? Help
    Kim, San Antonio, TX

    It’s possible that you have a rust caused by a fungus- Puccinia oxalidis (red rust) or “Puccinia sorghi which appears as yellowish dots near the margins of the leaves and later pale orange pustules break out."1 Remove the damaged(rusty) leaves when the plant is dry and destroy them. Keep the leaves as dry as possible and water in the morining so the plant has time to dry out. Plants should not be crowded and need good air circulation. P. sorghi doesn’t do enough damage to warrant spraying. P. oxalidis is more destructive.
    1Diseaes of Ornamental Plants-Pirone

    Comment by kim — 5/7/2007 @ 6:21 pm

26. I received a pot of purple oxalis as a gift a few months ago— the plant was a sample of a larger plant that had been growing for quite some time. I have never seen it grow flowers, and it usually has only around ten leaves (the plant is not very dense). But the leaves it does have are large and healthy-looking. Could the problem be that it’s so warm this time of year, or should I let it go dormant for a month? How can I tell?

    Let it continue to grow as this is a good growing time. Keep it in a light shaded area outdoors and it may perk up. Also give it a light dose of 10-10-10 fertilizer to stimulate more growth. If it is too hot outdoors keep it inside and fertilize. The plant will tell you when it’s going dormant. It will produce less new growth, then let it dry out and store.

    Comment by kiki — 7/19/2007 @ 7:54 am

27. Shamrocks (Oxalis)
    I was given a root mass of oxalis regnellii…separated the rhizomes and have repotted 1 rhizome per large coffee mug (with rocks in the bottom for drainage) to give as gifts. Little plants are growing well and started blooming with 2 weeks of being planted in mid-August. I have 2 questions: I would like to be able to tell the gift recipients how long they can expect it to take before they would need to divide or repot their plants. Since the plants started blooming immediately, I would also like to know when you think their normal “growing season” is–summer or fall? Thanks for your help!

    You can repot after blooming when the container is full of rhizomes or overcrowded. It can take one year or more depending on how well the plant grows. The normal growing season is summer. They may continue to bloom through the fall and then go dormant for a few months.

    Comment by Rae in MO — 9/1/2007 @ 8:03 am

28. Shamrocks (Oxalis) My shamrocks are years old. I never remember them going dormant. The inside plants both have developed the white spots similar to your description of chlorotic ring spot. They’re in an east window with African violets and orchids. Neither of these seem to have the spots. Do I discard the shamrocks? What about the other plants? Thanks.

    Oxalis is susceptible to chlorotic ring spot virus transmitted by aphids. It will not affect the african violet or orchids. If it is worth the effort, isolate the diseased shamrock plant and repot the healthy corms in fresh soil. As there is no cure, see if the plant will recover on its own if not … you gave it a try.

    Comment by Ellen in South Georgia,USA — 12/21/2007 @ 10:19 am

29. When my shamrocks came out of hibernation last year, they got really “leggy.” They have Western light, and lean like crazy. Would they be happier in the ground (in central Florida), or should I wait until the next dormancy? Or might they need a bigger container than the 7″ clay pot they’re in?

    Shamrocks can get tall and leggy when they don’t get enough light and are too warm. Ease the container into a brighter location and see what happens. I wouldn’t repot until they are dormant. Shamrocks can live in a container for years without repotting. If you see a decline in growth then, you may need to repot. They will also do well planted outdoors in the spring in dappled shade and should come up every year. They are hardy in zone 8-11. I’m not sure how well your leggy shamrocks would survive a transplant outdoors-it may trigger dormancy or some of it would die back and start producing new leaves.

    Shamrocks (Oxalis)

    Comment by Jvincent — 12/28/2007 @ 11:23 am

30. Comment on Plant & Gardening Tips, for topic: Shamrocks (Oxalis)

    I am in Scottsdale AZ, which I believe is zone 9. I noticed you said they are hardy in zones 8 - 11. If I were to pot my purple shamrocks outside in a place they would receive shade during the hottest part of the day do you think they would survive? I’m surprised as they seem so delicate and the heat here is brutal. Thanks!

    Yes, they should survive as long as they are in the shade and get enough water during the hot season. They bloom Jan to late May and then die back and return again in Jan.

    Comment by JHiggins — 3/10/2008 @ 7:55 pm

31. Comment on Plant & Gardening Tips, for topic: Shamrocks (Oxalis)

    After reading this thread, I am assuming my pink-flowered oxalis has P. oxalis rust. These plants are in beds at the foot of Madame Galen trumpet vines which shade our arbor in the hot Texas summers. For the past 3 or more years the trumpet vine leaves have turned yellow, developed brown spots, and dropped and thus no shade for us. Are these two problems related?

    Is is possible that you have some kind of leaf spot fungal disease on the trumpet vine. It’s difficult to determine whether or not the rust is spreading to the vine but the treatment should take care of both. Fungal disease usually occurs in humid, wet (rainy) conditions. Here are some preventative treatments: 1. avoid overhead watering getting the foliage wet 2. provide good air circulation-which means you may have to thin out the vine 3. Sanitation- remove/rake all diseased leaves and don’t allow them to winter over as that will just re-infect the plant. 4. Apply a preventative fungicide before infection begins. Think of when this problem started and make sure to spray before hand. You may need several applications.

    Comment by C Brink — 3/27/2008 @ 9:07 am

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