Alpines - Oxalis

Oxalis is a big family which includes the common European wood sorrel and a number of notable weeds that can take over a rock garden with ease. The ones that interest growers of alpines mainly come from either South America or South Africa.

In South America there are many species, in many different forms, even ones which have a cushion like habit (but these are generally not in cultivation). There is a group of very choice species from Chile with grey ruff like leaves and large flowers of white, pink, violet or violet blue. This group includes the well known O.adenophylla, O. enneaphylla, and O. laciniata. All of theses species are variable and new material has been introduced, plus people are now creating some interesting hybrids.

Above and right,  Oxalis Ione Hecker, a hybrid of O. enneaphylla and O. laciniata bred by E.B Anderson, I think. It seems to be easy going and flowers well.

Above Oxalis Superstar, another O. enneaphylla  O. laciniata cross with wonderful purple flowers. Right O. "patagonica". The references I have previously seen to this species describe it either as a downy form of O.enneaphylla or the almost unknown O. loricata. I suspect this is another plant. Whatever it's a lovely thing!

Above left, O. laciniata. This species has curiously wavy leaflets and the leaves first appear a bit like minature palm trees. The flowers vary from pale mauve (like Ione Hecker) through deep purple (like Superstar) to a blue purple. This one is very blue and I got quite a shock when it arrived in flower as I took the packing off. What a stunner! I think in the past some clones did not flower to well (in the wild it is described as usually being a small plant with a few flowers) but this clone looks much better. Above right, another old  favourite, Oxalis lobata. Also from Chile it is rather different from the O. enneaphylla/ adenophylla/ laciniata complex. It comes up with fresh green leaves and golden flowers in the autumn, disappears late winter, comes up again with just leaves in Spring and disappears again for the summer. It used to be the bane of nurserymen who used to get letter and calls of complaint about the plant suddenlt dying until it became more generally known that it has two dormant periods in the year. Another trick it has is that it is easy to lose the corms which are the size of a small pea and covered with brown fibres so they look like tiny coconuts.Quite hard to find in the compost so when I repot I always put all of the old compost in the new pot.

Right, the South African Oxalis obtusa. Again variable in the wild I think this is the "usual" form in cultivation. It may not be fully hardy even in Zone 8, but it warmer climates it may beome a little invasive.

Suppliers I cannot finish off this page without mentioning Ann Earnshaw's Mendle Nursery. Ann supplied the  Oxalis Superstar, "patagonica" and laciniata pictured here. She has a fine selection of other Oxalis and many other choice alpines and is a delight to deal with.

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