Species library › Oxalis › Oxalis melanosticta

Oxalis melanosticta

A small bulbous Oxalis from the dry interior of the Western and Northern Cape. Like most Cape Oxalis it grows in the cool, damp months and sleeps through the hot, dry summer. The cycle matters more than anything else: grow it cool and very bright from autumn to spring, then keep the bulbs dry over summer.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Records cluster in the semi-arid Karoo and Roggeveld margins, where Cape Oxalis typically grow in open shrubland on stony or sandy flats and slopes. This is inferred from the measured range and from the genus, as little is published on this species' microhabitat.

Few records carry an elevation. The climate sites lie at about 590-1,600 m.

South Africa

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.