Creeping woodsorrel

Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.

Oxalis corniculata

Common introduced weed · not on state Lists A/B/C. C-floristic-2020 CO-rules-2025

Oxalate-containing plant; keep pets from grazing. Exposure help.

Identification caveat: Oxalis corniculata is not a Trifolium clover or a Rumex sorrel. Do not attach an ASPCA Rumex scutatus entry to this plant merely because both are called sorrel.

Still researching this plant

This is a sourced working profile. The cited findings are available below. Identification and source-photo limits are explained below. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.

Three views of this plant

Source-identified reference photographs; these are not a complete identification key. A source location outside Colorado does not establish local occurrence.

Creeping woodsorrel: a low leafy patch of creeping woodsorrel with small yellow flowers. — **habit** — A low leafy patch of creeping woodsorrel with small yellow flowers.
Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified O. corniculata, including purple-leaved forms where shown. Related yellow-flowered Oxalis can resemble it; habit, stipules, hairs and fruits may be needed to identify an unknown specimen. No cultivar determination is made.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Creeping woodsorrel: a yellow five-petaled flower with fine reddish veins near the center. — **flower** — A yellow five-petaled flower with fine reddish veins near the center.
André Karwath aka Aka · CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified O. corniculata, including purple-leaved forms where shown. Related yellow-flowered Oxalis can resemble it; habit, stipules, hairs and fruits may be needed to identify an unknown specimen. No cultivar determination is made.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Creeping woodsorrel: an elongated pointed green capsule with fine surface hairs on a curved stalk, photographed with a 10 mm scale. — **fruit** — An elongated pointed green capsule with fine surface hairs on a curved stalk, photographed with a 10 mm scale.
Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified O. corniculata, including purple-leaved forms where shown. Related yellow-flowered Oxalis can resemble it; habit, stipules, hairs and fruits may be needed to identify an unknown specimen. No cultivar determination is made.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Identification

Three heart-shaped leaflets can resemble clover, but the flowers are yellow and seed capsules are narrow and cylindrical. Creeping stems spread across the ground. N-oxalis-corniculata

People

All parts have toxic potential from soluble oxalates. A sour taste or a reference to traditional food use is not a safe-amount recommendation. N-oxalis-corniculata

Dogs & cats

NC State flags this species as a problem for dogs and cats. Prevent repeated grazing; the reviewed entry does not quantify a safe amount or species-specific clinical outcome in pets. N-oxalis-corniculata

Other animals

The source reports colic and possible kidney injury after substantial ingestion of Oxalis by horses. N-oxalis-corniculata

Evidence scope: Genus-level horse evidence.

Plants & habitat

Ripe capsules eject seeds, and spreading stems can make established patches difficult to remove. N-oxalis-corniculata

Management & timing

Inspect incoming nursery plants and remove volunteers before capsules mature. Recheck for regrowth and seedlings. N-oxalis-corniculata

Before taking action

Confirm identification and the requirements of your county weed program. For chemical treatment, follow the current product label, including restrictions around animals and water. S27

References

C-floristic-2020 — Colorado Floristic Quality Assessment: 2020 Update, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:27:33+00:00. Locator: Appendix B, Colorado species list: scientific name and native/non-native fields.
CO-rules-2025 — Colorado Noxious Weed Act rules, 8 CCR 1206-2, Colorado Secretary of State / Department of Agriculture. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:07:48+00:00. Locator: Parts 3.1, 4.1, 5.1; management provisions; effective May 15, 2025.
N-oxalis-corniculata — Oxalis corniculata, NC State Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:23:11+00:00. Locator: Description, identification attributes and plant problems; toxicity section where present.
S27 — 2103 – Colorado Noxious Weeds, PlantTalk Colorado · CSU Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:57+00:00. Locator: List A, B and C management categories.

Content revised 2026-09-07 02:43:00Z · Source checks dated separately in the references.