South African Oxalis Five

Oxalis kaajagdensis. The correct name for this species is unclear. The plant was supplied to Telos Rare Bulbs under this name, but it's not a published name. A PBS member suggests that it is actually Oxalis kaasvogdensis, a name that is not currently found on plantlist.org but is reportedly listed in a published Oxalis reference book. Whatever its proper name, it is an attractive winter-growing bulb. It does well in pots with loose soil and a little fertilizer, kept dry in summer. It grows as a column; the plant looks like something you'd see growing at the bottom of an aquarium (but don't try to grow it there; it would drown). In fall it has bright yellow flowers on long wiry stems that emerge from the column. Photos by Michael Mace.