This is a ground covering plant that grows to only 15cm, from pretty golden bulbs (officially rhizomes). Tight clusters of leaves along its stems, crowned with rich magenta blooms with cheery yellow eyes. Just when autumn seems to be taking hold this beauty pops up and delights us all winter.
Gardeners are often frightened of Oxalis, and some are indeed horribly invasive. But not all, and this is one of the good ones. Indeed it will thrive in places that are baked hard in summer, such as beside a road kerb. In this sense, in garden design terms, O. hirta is something of an alternative to Rhodohypoxis.
Click here to view the Oxalis hirta page in Karin’s Garden.