![]() There are a few native oxalis species in the Santa Monica Mountains: Oxalis californica, or California wood sorrel is one, Oxalis albicans, hairy wood sorrel, is another. pes caprae on first glance, but is far less common than its invasive relation. There are some native oxalis species in the Santa Monica Mountains, including Oxalis californica, which looks a lot like the non-native O. ![]() Once it turns up in the garden, it stays there. It has two highly effective ways of propagating: corms or bulbs that grow in profusion from the plant’s succulent root and store nutrients and moisture that give the plant a head start after the first rains arrive and tiny seeds that are catapulted far from the parent plant by spring-loaded capsules. However, when oxalis crops up where it isn’t wanted, getting rid of this colorful pest is almost impossible. The sour taste makes it a favorite with children, who like to chew the flower stems, and it’s a pretty addition to salads, but it can cause stomach upset in high concentrations. It’s also mercifully free from thorns, prickles, or deadly toxins, and it’s even edible in moderation. It’s low-growing, decorative, and like that old ad promised, it thrives in shade where other plants won’t grow. It only grows during the rainy season, vanishing quickly when the soil dries out. It’s a relatively well-behaved invasive species. The California Invasive Plant Council classifies this plant’s potential impact on native ecosystems as moderate, and so far, it tends to stay near human habitation. Oxalis has not only thrived, it has conquered, spreading like green fire throughout the mountains. ![]() “Do you have a spot in your garden where flowers do not grow? Is there a place under a tree where the roots occupy all the available soil? Is there a narrow space between the walk and the wall where weeds persist and other flowering plants fail? If these are problems, scratch up whatever soil you find in your garden and push in some oxalis bulbs. A 1947 nursery ad in the Malibu Times offers the earliest mention of the plant in the local area. This energetic invader arrived in the Santa Monica Mountains from its native South Africa in the early 20th century. ![]() Whatever one calls it, Oxalis is always one of the earliest flowers to bloom after the first rains of the year, and it seems almost entirely immune to frost and the depredations of deer and rabbits. Oxalis goes by a lot of names: Bermuda buttercup-although its not from Bermuda and it isn’t a buttercup goat’s foot oxalis-the English version of its Latin name and sour flower, for the oxalic acid that gives it the other half of its Latin name and also its sharp, lemony flavor. Look at them in the sun for too long and that vibrant yellow leaves a violet after image on the retina for a moment. The blossoms are so bright they almost seem to glow. This beautiful invader has only been here since the early 20th century.Īll along lower Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and in almost every garden from Malibu to Pacific Palisades, the fluorescent yellow flowers of Oxalis pes caprae bloom from a carpet of clover-like leaves. It blooms in a luminous green-gold profusion-one of the first flowers to appear each year, but it isn’t a native. and near houses and roads throughout the canyon. After the first rains of the season, Oxalis pes caprae appears all along lower Topanga Canyon Blvd.
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