Scientific Name
Oxalis adenophylla 'Purple Heart'
Scientific Classification
Family: Oxalidaceae
Genus: Oxalis
Origin
Oxalis adenophylla 'Purple Heart' is a cultivar of Oxalis adenophylla.
Description
Oxalis adenophylla 'Purple Heart' is a bulbous plant that forms a clump of fleshy, glaucous green leaves composed of 9 to 20 narrow, heart-shaped leaflets with a purple base and folded in half. It can grow up to 4.8 inches (12 cm) tall and spread up to 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter.
The solitary flowers are pink to purple toward the tips of the petals, adorned with dark veins, and with a greenish-shaded throat. They can reach a diameter of 1.6 inches (4 cm) and appear above the foliage in late spring.
How to Grow and Care for Oxalis adenophylla 'Purple Heart'
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zones 7a to 9b: from 0°F (-17.8°C) to 30°F (-1.1°C).
Oxalis can be grown indoors as a houseplant or outdoors in the garden. They are generally available from the garden center in the fall or early spring.
These plants need bright indirect light to grow well and produce flowers. They can often bloom all winter if kept in a sunny spot. Keep the soil barely moist but never soggy. Allow the top 2 inches (5 cm) of the soil to dry out before watering. It is best to water your Oxalis from the bottom so that the plant's thin, fragile stems don't get waterlogged and the soil stays loose. Oxalis plants grow best in cool temperatures between 60ºF and 70ºF (15ºC and 21ºC) during the day and 55ºF and 65ºF (13ºC and 18ºC) at night. The soil should be loose and sandy rather than rich and organic. Feed your plant monthly when it is actively growing with a basic houseplant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Never feed an Oxalis when it is dormant, and the bulbs are resting.
To propagate Oxalis, split the plant into smaller plants and place them in their own pots. Keep it out of direct sunlight until new shoots appear.
Learn more in "How to Grow and Care for Oxalis."
Links
- Back to genus Oxalis
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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