Shamrock Plant – Learn How To Grow And Care

Are you decorating your place for St. Patrick? If so, then you will like to have some shamrock houseplants or potted shamrock plants. However, you can plant this beautiful potted shamrock plant indoors. If you want to plant a shamrock plant, then continue reading to know about caring and growing tips for it.

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Oxalis regnelliis a prized black plant. Most plant members of this family are often a dark purple and not a true black. However, they are admittedly dark. This beautiful plant can be called legitimately a purple or black shamrock due to its dark color. While these plants feature some purple, how closely they approach true black is based on growing conditions and lighting. Now, let’s see how you can grow this plant at home!

Introduction to Shamrock Plant

Oxalis regnellis or shamrock plant refers to a smaller specimen, which does not often reach over 6 inches. Delicate flowers blossom on and off during spring, winter, and fall. Its clover-shaped leaves come in a variety of shades. Some people think that these plants bring good luck. The leaves of this plant fold up during the night and then, open up when the light comes back.

Also called the lucky shamrock, this plant is super easy to grow and adds a spring touch to indoors throughout the winter months. These houseplants belong to the family of wood sorrel of the Oxalis genus. Plus, it is simple to care for this plant once you get its dormancy periods. Unlike other houseplants, this plant goes dormant during summer.

If its leaves die back, then this plant requires some dark time for resting. During the dormancy periods, caring for this plant includes restricted watering and covering up of fertilizer.

When you grow oxalis houseplants, their dormant period lasts from some weeks to even three months. Usually, it depends on the growing conditions and cultivar. Once the dormancy breaks, new shoots come up. During that time, you need to move your shamrock houseplants to areas that receive bright light or near a sunny window. Resume to care for the plants to get rewarded with some attractive blooms and foliage.

How to Grow Shamrock Plants

So, it is super easy to grow a shamrock plant. Have a look at some of the significant factors that you need to consider while growing shamrock plants!

Light Requirements

This amazing houseplant is grown best in partial shade. Keeping this houseplant in the bright sun would be too much for it. So, it is suggested to keep this beautiful plant in low light conditions.

Soil

You need to grow this plant in well-drained soil. When you grow a shamrock plant in the ground, then make compost if there is not some. This is important so as to work it into the ground for providing nutrients and loosening the soil.

Water

To establish your shamrock plant, you need to water it adequately. Once established, your plant’s water requirements will be minimal.

Fertilizer

To feed your purple shamrock, all you need is just a little bit of compost. However, it is not even necessary to add in fertilizers as these plants are so easy to take care of.

Humidity and Temperature

Shamrock plants thrive best in moderate temperatures. They will grow effectively when the daytime temperature is not more than 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the nighttime temperature remains between 50 degrees and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Varieties of Shamrock Plants

So, plants that belong to the same plant family comprise:

Sourgrass (oxalis stricta) or yellow wood sorrel, a typical lawn weed.
Iron cross or O. tetraphylla is a shamrock having four leaves. This plant features bi-colored leaves having green color at the edges and a dark red middle. Mainly, this houseplant blooms pink color flowers. It reaches 6-12 inches in height with an 8-inch spread. One can grow this houseplant outdoors year-round in hard zones 8 to 10.

Toxicity of Shamrock Plants

You have to take care when growing a shamrock plant around pets. These plants are considered poisonous to dogs and cats.

Wintering and Pruning

Once the growing season gets over in the North, your shamrock plants start to drop their leaves. Then, you need to cease watering simply and allow them to enter their dormant phase. Now, trim down the lingering vegetation to the ground level. If you did not grow your shamrock plant in a container, then you can pot up and bring your plant indoors for using it as a houseplant.

Now, watch this video to learn about how to transplant a shamrock plant.

Cut back on water for some weeks and then, start light watering. When the leaves appear again, you need to water your plant normally. Do not put your plant in direct sun or else it is going to fry. You have to grow your plant in bright light indoors. However, you should remember that these plants are shade plants. During the winter, this plant can become leggy indoors. So, you need to give your houseplant a haircut in spring so that new growth can emerge.

Throughout the growing season, if you find out that pests have made abode on your shamrock plant at any point, you can take care of this issue at the growing season’s end. You can trim your plant anyway. Also, removing the leaves can get rid of the bugs simultaneously. However, you need to ensure that you dispose of your cut foliage correctly. This is important so that pests do not attack other plants.

How to Take Care of Shamrock Plants

Plant your shamrock plant in a place that gets nice air circulation and has room temperature. It should not get direct light but bright light.
You have to keep the soil a bit moist. Allow the soil for drying out in between waterings and water sparingly.
Fertilize using a balanced food after every few months.
In early summer or late spring, if the leaves start to die back, your plant tells you that it requires a dormancy period to rest. Move your plant to a darker, cooler location at that time, which does not get direct light. Also, do not water your plant or fertilize it. This dormant period can vary and last from some weeks to even three months, based on the growing conditions and the cultivar.
After the first few weeks of the dormant period, you need to check the houseplant for fresh growth every week.
The dormancy period marks its ends when new shoots begin to appear. Move your houseplant back to a bright location and recommence the suggested plant care.

Conclusion

Now, you know how you can grow a shamrock plant. It is so simple to grow and take care of this plant. All you need to do is to note some growing and caring tips. Place your plant in bright light and water your plant regularly. There is no need to add fertilizers to this plant. So, grow this incredible shamrock houseplant and make the indoors beautiful. If you still have questions, then write them in the comment section below.

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