''Oxalis tetraphylla'' (often traded under its

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly 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 all ...

''O. deppei'') is a

bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short 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 t ...

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

from Mexico. It is sometimes sold as

lucky clover The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover. According to traditional sayings, such clovers bring good luck, though it is not clear when or how this idea began. One early mention of "Fower-leafed or purple grasse" is ...

shamrock A shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of ...

(even if it isn't a clover). 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 some ...

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

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 Glover, 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 (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...

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 family as the common wood-sorrel (''

Oxalis acetosella ''Oxalis acetosella'', the wood sorrel or common wood sorrel, is a rhizomatous flowering plant in the family ''Oxalidaceae'', common in most of Europe and parts of Asia. The specific epithet ''acetosella'' refers to its sour taste. The common na ...

'') 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 that i ...

, 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 trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

flavour. However, since the

oxalic acid Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and formula . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name comes from the fact that early inve ...

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

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the 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 ...

, 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' (15cm - 30cm) * Spread: 4" - 6" (10cm - 15cm) * Depth: 3" (7cm) * 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