''Oxalis tetraphylla'' (often traded under its

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

''O. deppei'') is a

bulb In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

ous

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

from Mexico. It is sometimes sold as

lucky clover The four-leaf clover is a rare mutation of the common three-leaf clover that has four leaflets instead of three. According to traditional sayings, such clovers bring good luck, a belief that dates back to at least the 17th century. The term '' ...

shamrock A shamrock is a type of clover, used as a symbol of Ireland. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of the Irish word and simply means "young clover". At most times'', Shamrock'' refers to either the species ...

(though it is neither a clover nor a shamrock). In the wild or

feral A feral (; ) animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in som ...

state it is often called four-leaved wood-sorrel after its family,

Oxalidaceae The Oxalidaceae, or wood sorrel family, are a small family of five genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees, with the great majority of the 570 species in the genus ''Oxalis'' (wood sorrels). Members of this family typically have divid ...

. Other English common names for this plant include Lucky Clover, Four-Leaf Sorrel, Four-Leaf Pink-Sorrel and others. It is sometimes called "the iron cross plant" or "oxalis iron cross" because the leaves loosely resemble the

iron cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

symbol, though this name is not a classic folk term and has fallen out of favour due to the bad political connotations associated with this symbol. It is in the same genus as the common wood-sorrel (''

Oxalis acetosella ''Oxalis acetosella'', the wood-sorrel or common wood-sorrel, is a herbaceous rhizome, rhizomatous flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae. The Botanical name, specific epithet ''acetosella'' refers to its sour taste. The common name wood-sorr ...

'') and has three wild variants: var. tetraphylla (autonym) distributed in the states of Veracruz, México, Morelos and Michoacán, var. mexicana native to Hidalgo and Guerrero regions and var. guerreroensis native to Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán and Colima regions.

Cultivation

''Oxalis tetraphylla var. tetraphylla'' is the variety most commonly used as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, either potted or in gardens as ground cover. The other two variants are very similar and their green parts (and flowers) look practically identical. All variants of this plant are also edible, the flowers and leaves having a sharp

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

flavour. However, since the

oxalic acid Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and chemical formula , also written as or or . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name i ...

in the plant can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients in the body, especially

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

, too much can be harmful. * Hardiness zones: 7 - 10 * Heat zones: 8 - 9 * Climate zones: 7 - 24 * Lifecycle: Bulbous perennial * Propagation: It multiplies through bulb divisions or through seeds. * Sun exposure: Full sun, Partial sun, does not tolerate shade * Water needs: Average * Soil drainage: well-drained, bulb rot can occur is the soil is soggy * Soil type: Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sandy * Soil pH: from acid to alkaline (6.1 - 7.8), acidity lowers nutrient intake * Additional nutrients: Are usually unnecessary, only for plants growing in nutrient-poor environments or small pots. Use slow-release fertilisers when the plant is not dormant or NPK 5-10-5 type fertilisers in late-spring to encourage blooming. * Height: 6" - 1' (15 cm - 30 cm) * Spread: 4" - 6" (10 cm - 15 cm) * Depth: 3" (7 cm) * Uses: Edging, Ground cover, Patio and Containers If planted in early spring it will grow and flower throughout spring and summer. Some bulbs can survive a cold winter but in areas with deep frost they should be kept in a cool dry place over winter and replanted in the spring. The bulbs will multiply by autumn.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1532800 tetraphylla Garden plants Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles