Description of Oxalis debilis var. corymbosa (Pink Woodsorrel)

Oxalis debilis var. corymbosa is pink woodsorrel, a small bulbous plant with clover-like leaves and pink flowers. It’s sometimes sold simply as pink oxalis. It isn’t a true marginal, but it can work on the drier edge of a bog garden or in damp pots nearby.

Appearance

It makes three-lobed leaves and sends up clusters of pink flowers in the warmer months. It stays low, often 10 to 20cm. In mild spots it can keep going for a long season.

Care Guide

It likes moisture but not constant saturation. Treat it as an edge plant, not a centre-of-bog plant.

• Sun: Sun to part shade.
• Soil: Moist, free-draining compost with organic matter.
• Water: Keep evenly moist. Avoid standing water over the bulbs.
• Feeding: A light feed in late spring supports flowering.
• Control: It can spread by bulbs. Lift and thin if it becomes too dense.

If you want it near the wettest area, keep it in a pot sunk into the bog so you can manage moisture and spread.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This suits the upper edge of a bog garden, where soil is damp but not flooded. It also works as a seasonal filler around stones and along the front lip of raised bog planters.

Because it stays low, it won’t block taller marginals. Just avoid planting it where winter water sits deep, as that can rot bulbs.

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