Oxalis violacea
| Oxalis violacea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Oxalis violacea (common name: violet wood sorrel)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring or early summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a moisture-retentive humus-rich soil in shade or dappled sunlight[1]. Succeeds in dry soils[2].
Grows well in a wild or woodland garden[1].
Range: Eastern N. America - New York to Wisconsin, south to Florida.
Habitat: Woods, shaded slopes, gravelly banks and prairies[3]. Dry sandy or clay soils[2].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[4][5][2][6]. The acid salty leaves are eaten raw in salads and sandwiches or cooked as a potherb[7].Use in moderation, see notes at top of sheet.
Flowers - raw[5][6]. An attractive and tasty garnish for salads[7].
Root - raw or cooked[5][6][7][8].
A lemon-flavoured drink is made from the leaves[2].
Medicinal: The plant is anthelmintic, antiemetic, blood purifier, cancer and salve[8]. A cold infusion is used to stop a person vomiting[8]. An infusion can be used as a blood purifier, it is said to be a treatment in the early stages of cancer[8]. An infusion of the plant is drunk and also used as a wash in treating children with hookworm[8]. An infusion of the leaves, mixed with oil, can be used as a salve on sores[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavour. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. Th
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 McPherson, Alan and Sue McPherson. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press, 1977.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.