Yellow woodsorrel – Oxalis stricta
Print
EmailOxalis stricta L.
Oxalidaceae (Woodsorrel family)
MI Status
Native
Life cycle
Low-growing annual or simple perennial.
Leaves
Cotyledons are rounded to oblong. Gray-green leaves are alternate, compound and cloverlike, with three heart-shaped leaflets that attach at the pointed ends. Long-stalked leaves have smooth surfaces, but they are fringed with hair along the margins.
Stems
Low-growing, prostrate to erect stems with minimal branching at the base, up to 20 inches tall. Plants spread by long, slender rhizomes.
Flowers and fruit
Yellow flowers with five petals are found in long-stalked clusters. Fruit are ridged, hairy, cylinder-shaped capsules with pointed tips that range from 0.5 to 1 inch in length. The capsules explosively eject small seeds with a sticky coating up to several feet away. Seeds are mostly brown, ridged, oval and flattened.
Reproduction
Seeds and rhizomes.
Similar weeds
Creeping woodsorrel
(Oxalis corniculata L.)
Differs by having a more prostrate growth, lack of rhizomes, presence of aggressive stolons and foliage often more purplish green.
Other Documents in this Series
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
Bee Integrated: Creating Bee Forage in Michigan
Published on March 2, 2022
-
Bee Integrated: Bees and Pesticides
Published on March 2, 2022
-
Bee Integrated: Linking Michigan Farmers and Beekeepers
Published on March 2, 2022
-
Bee Integrated: Blooms are a Boost for Bees
Published on March 2, 2022
-
Bee Integrated: Maximizing Pollination in Michigan
Published on March 2, 2022
-
Michigan beekeepers and growers featured in Honey Bee Health Coalition’s Bee Integrated Demonstration Project
Published on April 22, 2022
Accessibility Questions:
For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.