Oxalis bowiei
Bowie's wood-sorrel, Bowie's Wood-Sorrel
(c) Thomas Mesaglio, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Oxalidaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Oxalis bowiei (Bowie's wood-sorrel) is a non-native California herb in the Oxalidaceae family, recognized by large leaflets and contractile bulbs are key.
Bowie's wood-sorrel is a naturalized perennial found in the Southern California Coast and Sacramento Valley regions in gardens and disturbed areas at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from April to June and October to December, this plant produces delicate pink flowers up to 2.5 centimeters long with distinctive umbel-like clusters. Growing with essentially no visible stem, it emerges from a bulb that creates a contractile root system. Its basal leaves feature 1 to 5 centimeter wide-obovate leaflets that are entire or have a shallow notch at the tip, with sparse or absent hairs. The plant is characterized by two types of hairs - long soft wavy and short glandular - which contribute to its unique botanical profile.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; large leaflets and contractile bulbs are key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gardens, disturbed areas, generally not persisting
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: Native to South Africa
Bloom period
Oxalis bowiei blooms Apr-Jun, Oct--Dec.
How to tell it apart
vs Trifolium: Oxalis has heart-notched leaflet tips; clover has oval or elongate leaflet tips without notches.; vs Medicago: Oxalis leaflets fold at night and have notched tips; medick leaflets don't fold and have toothed edges.; vs Marsilea: Oxalis is a land plant with flowers; water clover is aquatic with spore-bearing structures.; vs Pelargonium: Oxalis is soft-stemmed with 3 leaflets; geranium is woody-based with palmately lobed leaves.; vs Bowlesia: Oxalis has clover-like leaves with 3 leaflets; Bowlesia has kidney-shaped undivided leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oxalis bowiei native to California?
No. Oxalis bowiei is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Oxalis bowiei bloom?
Oxalis bowiei blooms Apr-Jun, Oct--Dec.
What plant family does Oxalis bowiei belong to?
Oxalis bowiei is in the Oxalidaceae family, genus Oxalis.
What habitat does Oxalis bowiei grow in?
Oxalis bowiei grows in Gardens, disturbed areas, generally not persisting.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.