Oxalis or Wood Sorrel

Due to all the rain of late, it has been hard to control some of the weeds at work. So they have gotten quite big and are flowering. I figured I would do a couple of blogs on weed identification, as it is quite common for people to pick my brain on what is a weed and how do they get rid of it.

I know this weed to be Purple Oxalis (Oxalis purpurea), but it has a multitude of common names that I have never before heard used. Every gardener I know just calls it Pink Oxalis or Purple Oxalis, however some herbicide instructions list it as Large Flowered Wood Sorrel. Like most weeds in Western Australia, it originates from South Africa and is believed arrived here as a garden plant that escaped. It prefers the heavier, more clay based soils around the South West region of WA and in domestic situations is quite a common turf weed. Even though the bulbs for this plant are usually pretty shallow, I dont recommend digging it out unless its a really small patch. It will create more work then its worth. It is an annual weed that disappears during the Summer when it gets too hot, so spraying in late winter/early spring is your best bet. Find a decent selective herbicide, it will tell you on the back what species of weed it will work on. It may list Oxalis as "Wood Sorrel", so keep an eye out. As they are bulbs, you will need to do a few repeat applications to fully remove this weed from your lawn, such is the nature of most turf weeds. One thing I do stress is ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE HERBICIDE PACKAGING! By following the instructions, you will get the job done more efficiently. I know its Unaustralian to read and follow instructions, but please believe me it is safer and worth doing.