Oxalis suksdorfii
Suksdorf's wood-sorrel
(c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ed Alverson · licence
Family: Oxalidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Oxalis suksdorfii (Suksdorf's wood-sorrel) is a native California herb in the Oxalidaceae family, recognized by large yellow flowers and stolons in dry habitats diagnostic.
Suksdorf's wood-sorrel is a California native perennial found in the northern California Coast Ranges in dry, shrubby or wooded areas at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces delicate yellow flowers 12 to 20 millimeters long in small umbel-like clusters. Growing with slender stems less than 25 centimeters tall that trail or grow upright and are slightly hairy, it has a distinctive taproot and occasional underground stolons. Its leaves have three leaflets, each less than 2 centimeters long, with petioles shorter than 5 centimeters. The fruit is an oblong capsule 1 to 1.5 centimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; large yellow flowers and stolons in dry habitats diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, shrubby or wooded areas
Elevation: < 700 m
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Oxalis suksdorfii blooms Jun-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 suksdorfii native to California?
Yes. Oxalis suksdorfii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oxalis suksdorfii bloom?
Oxalis suksdorfii blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Oxalis suksdorfii belong to?
Oxalis suksdorfii is in the Oxalidaceae family, genus Oxalis.
Is Oxalis suksdorfii rare or endangered?
Oxalis suksdorfii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Oxalis suksdorfii grow in?
Oxalis suksdorfii grows in Dry, shrubby or wooded areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.