Species PlantsViolet Wood Sorrel

Violet Wood Sorrel

Oxalis violacea

CommonPlant
Illustration of Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Violet Wood Sorrel is a delicate woodland wildflower with clover-like leaves and pink-to-violet flowers blooming in spring and sometimes again in fall. The leaves have a pleasant sour taste from oxalic acid and were nibbled by indigenous peoples. It grows in dry to rocky woodlands and open glades across eastern and central North America.

Habitat
Dry to rocky woods, glades, and open slopes in eastern and central North America
Diet
Flowers pollinated by native bees; seeds dispersed by ants
How common
Common

Best time to see a Violet Wood Sorrel

The best time to see a Violet Wood Sorrel is March–April, when about 68% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 17,529 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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