How to Grow a Shamrock Plant.

Inherited this plant and can’t find its identity. Thank you for your help.

Hi Regina,

Your plant is usually referred to as a Purple Shamrock. It’s real name is  Oxalis triangularis, or False Shamrock Plant. It has dark purple leaves and pinkish lavender flowers. ”Oxalis regnelli, the green leafed version of the Shamrock Plant, has small delicate white flowers. Shamrock Plants are bulb plants and often die back after they bloom. Don’t throw them out, they just need a little rest before starting to grow again.

Shamrock Plants need bright indirect light to grow well and produce flowers. They can often bloom all winter if kept in a sunny spot.

Keep the soil  barely moist but never soggy; allow the top 2” to dry out before watering. It’s best to water a Shamrock Plant from the bottom so that the thin fragile stems of the plant don’t get water logged and the soil stays loose.

Feed a Shamrock Plant monthly in the spring and summer when it is actively growing with a basic houseplant food at ½ the recommended strength. Never feed a Shamrock Plant when it is dormant and the bulbs are resting.

You can read all my care tips for a Shamrock plant in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.

https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/shamrock-plant-how-to-grow-care

These plants are considered slightly poisonous if eaten in large quantities and should be kept away from pets and children. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants.