Oxalis purpurea
Purple wood-sorrel, Purple Wood-Sorrel
(c) Cecile Roux, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Cecile Roux · licence
Family: Oxalidaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Oxalis purpurea (Purple wood-sorrel) is a non-native California herb in the Oxalidaceae family, recognized by dark-spotted dried leaves and gummy bulbs diagnostic.
Purple wood-sorrel is a naturalized perennial found in the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area in disturbed places, especially near gardens, at elevations below 160 meters. Flowering from January to February, this plant produces purple to pink or white flowers with delicate petals less than 2.5 centimeters long. Growing with a basal rosette of leaflets, the plant emerges from ovoid dark brown bulbs without a prominent stem. Its leaves feature three to four leaflets less than 4 centimeters long, sparsely hairy with distinctive dark spots and streaks when dried. Each flower emerges individually on a slender peduncle 1 to 11 centimeters long, with two small bracts positioned along the stem.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; dark-spotted dried leaves and gummy bulbs diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places, especially near gardens
Elevation: < 160 m
California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
Outside California: native to southern Africa
Bloom period
Oxalis purpurea blooms Jan-Feb.
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 purpurea native to California?
No. Oxalis purpurea is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Oxalis purpurea bloom?
Oxalis purpurea blooms Jan-Feb.
Where in California does Oxalis purpurea grow?
Oxalis purpurea occurs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, at elevations of < 160 m.
What plant family does Oxalis purpurea belong to?
Oxalis purpurea is in the Oxalidaceae family, genus Oxalis.
What habitat does Oxalis purpurea grow in?
Oxalis purpurea grows in Disturbed places, especially near gardens.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.