Plants That Look Like Wood Sorrel

Creeping Wood Sorrel

• Creeping wood sorrel, or Oxalis corniculata, is the most common kind of wood sorrel. This wood sorrel has yellow flowers and dark green trefoil leaves that have the tart oxalic acid flavor characteristic of this species. Creeping wood sorrel spreads aggressively and is deemed an invasive weed by many gardeners and homeowners, according to the University of California. Bermuda buttercup, or buttercup oxalis, Oxalis pes-caprae, looks quite similar to creeping wood sorrel, but is a noninvasive ornamental that is a little more upright with slightly larger yellow flowers than the weed variety.

Houseplants

• Several oxalis types grown as houseplants look like common wood sorrel but thrive in container conditions. Two that are often sold as lucky shamrocks during the St. Patrick's Day season in March include the Irish shamrock, Oxalis acetosella, and the good-luck plant, Oxalis deppei, according to the Iowa State University Extension. Both have green trefoil leaves that fold up at night, and both have white or red flowers. They prefer cooler temperatures and enjoy lush foliage and growth during the winter when other houseplants tend to die back, but they need a period of dormancy in summer to renew their vigor.

Violet Wood Sorrel

• Violet wood sorrel or sheep sorrel, Oxalis violacea, has leaves nearly identical to the invasive creeping wood sorrel, but bears light violet flowers in spring and early summer. It does not present a weedy threat to lawns and landscaping. Like creeping wood sorrel or Bermuda buttercup, violet wood sorrel flowers have five flat petals. Violet wood sorrel thrives in former pasturelands and open wooded areas in the eastern United States. The plant also appears in forest openings newly cleared by fire. Its oxalic acid-rich stems and leaves have been used medicinally.

Clovers

• Red and white clovers have three-part dark green leaves that look very similar to wood sorrel leaves. Both are hardy plants that grow in a wide variety of environments, including the lawns and landscaping in which creeping wood sorrel thrives. Red clover can grow to a foot or more tall, and its three dark green leaves may have a triangle of white or lighter green markings near the stem. White clover stays low to the ground, and its leaves are a more uniform shade. Clover flowers, however, differ significantly from wood sorrel flowers. Clover flowers are round, fuzzy pealike balls of petals in red or white, while wood sorrel flowers have distinct flat open petals. Clover also lacks wood sorrel's distinct oxalic acid flavor.