Violet Wood Sorrel

Oxalis violacea

Violet Wood Sorrel is a delicate, clover-like native that pops up in early spring with surprising cheerfulness. The rosy-pink to violet flowers, no bigger than a dime, open above a mat of three-part leaves that fold down at night and on cloudy days. a behavior called nyctinasty that children find endlessly entertaining. The leaves have a pleasant mild tartness if you nibble one in the field. It grows from small bulb-like structures and naturalizes readily in open woodland settings, popping up between rocks and at the base of trees. It's small enough to tuck into gaps in a rock wall or use as a groundcover layer beneath larger spring ephemerals. A charming native that earns its place by being genuinely carefree and attracting small native bees when few other plants are in bloom.