Oxalis adenophylla
Jane McGary (Wed, 19 Nov 2003 11:35:08 PST)
Judy wrote,
This fall I purchased 5 Oxalis adenophylla. I potted the firm, dark brown
string covered tubers in a pot which was placed on the floor of my cool
greenhouse (heated to 50° F.) Curiosity is this cat's besetting sin (but
remember that while curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought her
back.) So I did some poking around on Monday. Four are rotted and one has
two white roots. Gently repotted into a smaller pot. So it cannot be winter
low temperature that is the problem.
They were probably in bad condition when you bought them, and you couldn't
tell because of the fibrous coats.
Oxalis adenophylla in nature grows in gently sloping screes, often in
depressions where the snow lies late (the habitat favored by many Lewisia
species too). I have had commercially purchased plants in the garden for
many years, tucked into retaining walls where the drainage is very good,
despite the extremely wet winters here with frequent frosts. The leaves
emerge in spring. It is tolerant of summer water but does not require it.
I wish we had access to the many color forms of this species that can be
seen in a single population in nature. The common commercial form is pale
pink, but you see everything from near-white to deep magenta in the Andes.
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA (where it is snowing like crazy as I write)