St. Patty and St. Joseph day flowers now! Triple Oaks Nursery and Herb Garden in Franklinville, New Jersey

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St. Patty and St. Joseph day flowers now!
posted on: March 13 2010
Shamrock

With St. Patrick's Day this week, it is not unusual to see shamrocks as decorations for March events. . School children cut them out of construction paper, stores hang them in the windows, and florists sell them in pots. One might wonder just what the true shamrock really is. Is it the clover that grows on the lawn, or one of the many oxalis varieties? Both are often sold in pots this time of the year.
Some say that the true shamrock is a three-leafed    clover while others say it is the wood sorrel, a member of the oxalis family, found native all through the British Isles. Stories tell us that this is the plant that St. Patrick used to explain the doctrine of the Trinity? Others say the official Irish Shamrock (Trifolium dubium) is a yellow-flowered clover that is extremely difficult to grow indoors.    Retailers and florists normally sell Oxalis plants instead. There are about 500 species in the Oxalis genus. Several of them are sold as Shamrocks, especially near St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
   By the end of the 7th century Patrick had become a legendary Irish figure. The legends are still told   with one of the most popular tales saying that said he used the three-leafed clover or shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity, the    combination of Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost as three in one to the heathen Celts. Never the less the shamrock has become a symbol of Ireland.
In Elizabethan England oxalis   was a popular culinary herb, often being used as a tangy salad green. In the 1600's Culpeper wrote of the medicinal virtues of the plant. He said it would strengthen a weak stomach, cool a fever, and cure diseases of the kidneys and bladder.   The leaves contain oxalic acid; the reason why consuming large amounts of the plant can cause problems.
Today the plant is most useful for its beauty. Although there are hardy varieties that are native to Europe and Asia, as well as North America,
There are also many tender varieties native to warm areas such as Mexico.
The one most often sold at St. Patrick's Day is usually a tender variety that must be kept as a houseplant. This plant grows from small tubers often planted indoors in December or January.   The botanical name is oxalis regnelli. Although most people want these in green there is a beautiful ‘wine’ colored variety often available. These little bulbs are amazingly speedy   sprouters and will pop open their first blooms in just a few weeks after the leaves mature. With a little more time, the plants will get larger, fuller and more covered with starry white flower
Plants do best if they are kept in a well-lit sunny spot that is fairly cool. They can tolerate full afternoon sun in the winter but do better in east or west window in the summer. They are not fussy about humidity and thrive in most homes. Too much water will cause the stems to become lanky, but to allow them to become too dry will cause them to go into a premature dormancy. They do benefit from a very mild feeding every other week from mid February to August. Snip out spent stems and dust by giving your plant a gentle shower in warmish water. If the plant is happy, it will flower with either pink or more commonly white blooms. If the plant does not get enough light it will be leggy and have few flowers.
When the plant experiences extreme conditions, it often will go dormant, but it will come back when the conditions become more favorable. I remember one summer when the sun was too hot for the oxalis I had put out side for the summer.   It just died back, once it was put in a more protected spot, it sent up new leaves. One other time someone threw the dormant pots of oxalis into the compost pile and by fall we had beautiful plants blooming all over the compost pile. Of course I potted them up! Lesson learned, always mark dormant pots. Sometimes the plant needs dormancy for a month or so. When it begins to look tired and lose leaves, stop watering and fertilizing and let it rest. As leaves brown, pull them off and move the pot to a cool dark place like a basement or garage. Do not allow it to freeze. Soon new green shoots signal the end of the resting period and you can bring the plant into normal light.   Restart normal watering and fertilization and repot if it is very, very tight in its pot. At the end of dormancy, you might want to remove the bulbs from pot and divide small side bulbs. Replant just under soil surface. Water and keep soil surface moist to the touch.   If you are dividing your mother plant to give gifts on St. Patrick’s Day, repot in late fall so the plants have a good chance to recover from transplant shock and grow abundant foliage. I am thrilled that two hanging baskets of the purple variety just came back to life and look more awesome than I have ever seen oxalis look!
   These plants are really easy to grow, whether you are Irish or not. They are rarely bothered by insects and last for years and years it kept during their dormant times. So get lucky and try one of these pretty touches of green this March. Oxalis or shamrock is a fun plant to grow, one that delights everyone with its blooms and unique leaves. Sometimes at night the leaves
Fold up, only to spread out again the next morning.
Happy St. Patrick's Day.