Suomi
Svenska
Wood-Sorrel
Oxalis acetosella
Identify the Wood-Sorrel from a photo and log your finds with Florapass.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
Wood-Sorrel is a tiny, shade‑loving plant of the forest floor in moist, rich woods. It has three heart‑shaped leaflets and a single white spring flower etched with purple veins. You’ll notice soft, pale green tufts carpeting shady patches.
Did you know?
- Its leaves can stay green through winter.
- Ripe seed pods pop open and shoot the seeds a short distance.
About the species
Identification
Low (5–10 cm), with leaves and flowers rising directly from a creeping underground stem. Leaves grow in small tufts on long stalks; each leaf has three thin, heart‑shaped parts, pale to yellow‑green, folding downward at night, in strong sun or rain. A single flower on its own stalk stands slightly above the leaves: white with fine purple veins and a tiny yellow center (about 1 cm across). Later it often makes tiny closed flowers. Small ridged seed pods can burst to fling the seeds. Unlike clovers, it never has round flower heads. Flowers in Finland in May–June.
Plant group
Herbaceous plants
Habitat
herb-rich forest
Flowering
May–Jun
About the habitat
Grows on shady, moist forest floors, especially in spruce woods and rich deciduous groves, on cool, humus‑rich soil. Common throughout Finland except Lapland.
Sources
Photo: Heather Alice-Grace Orchard, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6129986832
Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Koululaisille: talvivihreät kasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39130
Text: Pinkka: Yläkoulun Pinkka - Lehto, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39130
Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Itämeri: rannikon lehdot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39130
Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39130
Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A4enkaali
