Common Name: violet wood sorrel
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Native Range: North America
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Bloom Time: May
Bloom Description: Pink, lavender
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Suggested Use: Herb, Naturalize
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. A true, scale-covered bulb which should be planted in fall. Can spread somewhat rapidly by runners from the bulbs to form large colonies in optimum growing conditions.
Violet wood sorrel is a common Missouri native wildflower which occurs state-wide in dryish, acidic soils on glades, rocky open woods, fields and prairies. A bulbous, stemless perennial typically growing 4-8" tall in which the long-stemmed leaves and longer, leafless flower stalks rise directly from the bulb. The familiar clover-like leaves have three inversely heart-shaped, often center-creased, green leaflets which are purplish beneath. Variably-colored, 5-petaled flowers (ranging from white to pink to lavender to violet) with greenish throats appear in spring. A repeat bloom will sometimes occur in the fall with the return of cooler weather. Although the leaves have a sour taste, they make a zesty and interesting addition to salads.
No serious insect or disease problems.
Rock gardens, border fronts, native plant gardens or naturalized plantings.