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NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Oxalis montana

American Wood-sorrel, Mountain Woodsorrel, White Wood-sorrel, Wood-Shamrock

Scientific Name:

Oxalis montana

Genus:

Oxalis

Species Epithet:

montana

Common Name:

American Wood-sorrel, Mountain Woodsorrel, White Wood-sorrel, Wood-Shamrock

Plant Type

Herb/Wildflower

Life Cycle

Perennial

Plant Family

Oxalidaceae (Wood-Sorrel Family)

Native/Alien:

NC Native

Size:

0-1 ft.

Bloom Color(s):

White, Pink

Light:

Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day

Soil Moisture:

Moist

Bloom Time:

June, July

Growing Area:

Mountains

Habitat Description:

“Spruce-fir forests, northern hardwood forests, at high elevations” (Weakley 2015). Uncommon in NC Mountains.

Leaf Arrangement:

Basal

Leaf Retention:

Deciduous

Leaf Type:

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Leaf Form:

Simple

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Wildlife Value:

No known wildlife value

Landscape Value:

Suitable for home landscapes

State Rank:

S3: Vulnerable (*Key)

Global Rank:

G5 - Secure (*Key)

Patch of Mountain Woodsorrel

This is an uncommon plant, preferring spruce-fir forests or northern hardwood forests at high elevations.

image

Paynter, Watauga Co, June 2011

Flower

Mountain Woodsorrel also has cleistogamous flowers, often hidden in the leaf litter. These flowers do not open and are self-fertilized inside the bud, an insurance policy in case the plant fails to attract pollinators.

image

Leaves

The leaves fold up at the end of the day.

image

Links:

USDA PLANTS Database Record



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