Butterfly Plant Oxalis Bulbs

Oxalis triangularis — Butterfly Plant. The common name comes from the shape rather than the flowers: three triangles meeting at the centre read as wings, and a pot viewed from above looks like a roost of them.

It is the same plant sold as purple shamrock, and the same one that folds its leaves at dusk. That movement is worth knowing about before you buy — new owners regularly report a dead plant the first evening, when it has simply gone to sleep.

Grown tight in a pot it holds a rounded, even canopy, which is why it photographs so well and why it is the version most often used in styled interiors.

What you get

• Butterfly-shaped foliage, three triangles per leaf.
• Folds shut at dusk and opens again in the morning.
• Even, rounded canopy when planted densely.
• 6–12 in, indoors or outdoors in zones 8–11.
• Dormant corms that re-sprout season after season.

How to grow it

• Plant: 1–2 in / 3–5 cm deep, pointed end up, 3–4 in apart in a pot with drainage. Soak the corms for an hour first — they wake up faster.
• Light: bright, indirect light or a few hours of morning sun. Strong light keeps the purple deep; deep shade turns the leaves green.
• Water: keep evenly moist while growing, then let the top inch dry between waterings. Never leave the pot standing in water.
• Temperature: 60–75°F indoors. Hardy outdoors in USDA zones 8–11; elsewhere grow it in a pot and bring it in before frost.
• Dormancy: the leaves die back every few months — that is normal, not death. Stop watering for 4–6 weeks, then start again and it regrows from the corms.

Shipped dormant as graded corms, cleaned and ready to plant. Dispatch in 5–7 working days. Leaf colour and flower shade vary with light, season and the age of the corm — the first flush after planting is usually the darkest. Keep away from cats and dogs: oxalis is high in oxalic acid and is not pet-safe if chewed.