Oxalis hirta 'Gothenburg'

Oxalis hirta 'Gothenburg' (synonym Göteborg) is a very beautiful selection from a South African botanical species that stands out for its bushy habit and its wonderful late flowering. Its charming small lilac-pink flowers with pale yellow centres bloom profusely, hiding its grey-green foliage from September to early November. This small Mediterranean climate bulbous plant has a specific vegetative cycle: it starts growing at the end of summer and goes dormant in May, before the arrival of the summer drought. As it is not the hardiest, it is preferable to grow it in a pot, or even in a hanging basket where it thrives, which will protect it from severe winter cold.

Oxalis hirta 'Gothenburg' is a plant of the Oxalis family. The genus Oxalis comprises around 500 species, most of which are perennial bulbous plants native to South Africa and South America. In nature, this botanical species grows in plains and on slopes in the northern and southwestern Cape region. It is one of the largest South African Oxalis species due to its strongly upright main stem, which often exceeds 30cm (12in) in height. Its bulbs can also become quite large (2 to 3cm (1in) in diameter). It slowly colonizes its environment through bulb propagation, without being invasive like other Oxalis species.

The 'Gothenburg' cultivar was discovered at the Gothenburg Botanical Garden in Sweden. It stands out from the typical species with its superior growth, lighter flowers, and even larger bulb. The vegetation, reaching a height of 50 to 70cm (20 to 28in), displays original foliage that persists in winter. It consists of small leaves finely divided into tiny light grey-green leaflets, which are hairy. Flowering normally occurs from late September to early November in Mediterranean climates. The small funnel-shaped flowers, arranged in umbel-like clusters, have 5 petals in a lovely lilac-pink colour. The flower's centre is yellow, surrounded by a white eye. These corollas open in the sun and close in shade and at night. The plant is normally deciduous in summer, with its foliage drying out and the bulb going dormant.

Oxalis hirta 'Gothenburg' can be easily grown in the ground in our Mediterranean regions with mild winters and very dry summers. Its hardiness is around -7°C at its lowest. On the other hand, growing it in pots with a moist substrate during flowering poses no problem. Its generosity shines in pots or hanging baskets, provided they are deep enough. To accompany it in the garden, in rockeries or beds, consider, for example, autumn stonecrops, shrubby salvias, Ceratostigma griffitii, or small-sized asters.