Over the years I've tried quite a few oxalis, mostly tender ones, and
of course others have tried me, severely. As with all my greenhouse
plants, my prime criterion is fall or winter bloom. (Hint: When
descriptions are given, bloom time is always appreciated).
Species worth mentioning:
O. adenophylla. So it's not winter-blooming! For me it's hardly
blooming at all, though it survives in however
fitful a way. I wish someone else had shared the secret of
success.
O. brasiliensis. Nice big rose flowers in March; attractive leaves;
slow-growing. Quite frost-hardy.
O. hirta 'Gothenberg'. Best in a hanging pot and then superb.
Blooming now. I'm trying it in a colder
environment, down to 15F. Dare I hope?
O. lobata. One I've had for ages; this is a year in which it's
blessing me after quite a time of sulking.
Lots of yellow flowers in fall.
O. melanosticta 'Ken Aslet'. Wonderful leaves; no flowers yet after 2
years.
O. obtusa. I managed to struggle with this! - until PBS'ers set me
straight. That is to say, this summer it
came through just fine. Winter bloom.
O. pedunculata. A wacky brassy-yellow flowered succulent species,
blooming in January. Not really suited to
my GH so out it went.
O. rubra; O. articulata ssp rubra f. crassipes; whatever. Clouds of
soft pink flowers are borne all summer and
on into the fall. Hardy here pressed up against the
south-facing foundation. Absolutely non-seeding;
easily divided. Put this with Corydalis lutea and you have a
good 3 months of pink and yellow.
O. triangularis. I'll mention this because it's there and looks like
it will always be there. I'm not as
enthusiastic about the brick-red leaves as I feel I should be.
White flowers summer to autumn.
O. versicolor. I enthusiastically second all that's already been said.
Winter bloom.
O. violacea. Non-bulbous no doubt, but native, attractive enough, and
utterly non-threatening. Violet
flowers in June.
Jim Jones
Lexington, MA