# West Indian woodsorrel (*Oxalis dehradunensis*)

West Indian woodsorrel is a small, leafy plant with pretty, heart-shaped leaves. It loves to grow in warm places and can often be found in gardens and fields.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![West Indian woodsorrel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Oxalis_dehradunensis_%28Dun_Ambushi%29_in_Hyderabad%252C_AP_W_IMG_9723.jpg&width=800)

Photo: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxalis_dehradunensis_%28Dun_Ambushi%29_in_Hyderabad%252C_AP_W_IMG_9723.jpg)

## Appearance

The West Indian woodsorrel is a low-growing plant with distinctive clover-like leaves, often tinged with purple or red. It bears small, vibrant yellow flowers, each with five petals. Its delicate appearance, contrasted with its colorful stems, makes it stand out from other ground covers.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Oxalidales
- **Family:** Oxalidaceae
- **Genus:** Oxalis

## Interesting facts

- Each small flower has five bright yellow petals, making it easy to spot in green patches!
- It's a global traveler, found thriving in gardens and wild places on many continents!
- Its leaves fold in half at night, looking like tiny sleeping butterflies!
- Some traditional cultures used woodsorrel as a thirst-quenching snack due to its tangy taste!

## Special abilities

- **Night Sleeper:** West Indian woodsorrel's leaves fold up tightly at night, protecting them from cold or strong sun.
- **Seed Cannon:** It has exploding seed pods that can launch tiny seeds far away, helping it spread widely.
- **Underground Spreader:** This plant has underground stems or tiny bulbs allowing it to quickly grow new plants nearby.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 10-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit its yellow flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Cornu aspersum*) — Snails and slugs sometimes graze on its tender leaves.
- **Eaten by:** Corn earworm (*Helicoverpa zea*) — Larvae of this moth can feed on the leaves and stems.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before tasting any wild plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify West Indian woodsorrel?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is West Indian woodsorrel?

10-30 cm

### How wide does West Indian woodsorrel spread?

10-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on West Indian woodsorrel?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does West Indian woodsorrel bloom?

Year-round

### Is West Indian woodsorrel edible?

Yes

### Is West Indian woodsorrel toxic?

Mild

### What is West Indian woodsorrel's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [West Indian woodsorrel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/west-indian-woodsorrel)