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Oxalis spiralis ssp. vulcanicola (Volcanic Sorrel) - A tender sprawling evergreen perennial to 10 inches tall by 2 feet or more wide with semi-succulent stems that spread to create a low, mounding mat of red foliage growing from small swollen tubers - will trail down over and drape a couple feet over an edge. It is semi dormant in winter with small rusty red to deep burgundy shamrock-like leaves emerging in spring along dark red stems that provide a great foil to the yellow flowers. In cooler or hotter locations, it flowers in spring and early summer but in our mild coastal climate it is covered most of the year with attractive small five-petaled yellow flowers rising on delicate pink peduncles an inch or two about the foliage. The flowers have delicate red lines running down their throats the same color as the foliage.
Plant in full coastal sun, where it has the deepest color and remains most compact, to part sun or bright shade in a well-draining organic rich soil. With its succulent stems it can get by with only occasional irrigation but looks best with a bit more frequent watering. Evergreen in frost free locations but stem hardy down to around 20 °F and used as an annual in colder climates. A nice sprawling plant for use as a small groundcover under shrubs or at the front of a border. Also makes a great container or hanging basket plant and is particularly nice trailing down over a wall.
Oxalis spiralis is native to Central and South America, ranging from Chiapas to Peru and this subspecies, Oxalis spiralis ssp. vulcanicola, ranges from El Salvador, through Costa Rica into Panama where it grows in evergreen montane forests from 4,600 to nearly 11,00 feet. It was first collected at the Cordillera de Talamanca near the Irazú Volcano (Volcan Irazú) in central Costa Rica, which gives this plant its subspecies epithet. Linnaeus gave the name to the genus using the Greek words 'oxus' (sometimes spelled 'oxys'or 'oxis') meaning "sour" or "acid", which he used when describing Oxalis acetosella. The specific epithet means spiraled and likely refers to the spiral overlapping petals of the flowers. This subspecies is also occasionally seen with the cultivar names 'Zinfandel', 'Burgundy' and 'Dark Form' to describe its dark foliage and it is also commonly called Velvet Oxalis. Our stock plants originally from Annie's Annuals.
Information displayed on this page about Oxalis spiralis ssp. vulcanicola is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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