Clovers
Clover leaflets and dense pea-flower heads differ; check flowers and fruit as well as leaves.
Use the botanical sourceExtra care needed
Yellow wood sorrel.
Oxalis stricta
Also found as Common yellow woodsorrel
A small yellow-flowered herb with three heart-shaped leaflets and significant oxalic acid.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Large amounts can be harmful because of oxalates. Sour taste is never an identification test.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 13,338
- People who recorded it
- 6,659
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Jun–Aug
- Records span
- 1985–2026
| January | 4 |
|---|---|
| February | 4 |
| March | 11 |
| April | 239 |
| May | 991 |
| June | 2648 |
| July | 3388 |
| August | 3632 |
| September | 1856 |
| October | 506 |
| November | 46 |
| December | 12 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Three distinctly heart-shaped leaflets per leaf.
- 02
Small five-petaled yellow flowers.
- 03
Slender upright growth with elongated seed capsules.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
North America and Eurasia in the cited account.
Watch the plant stage
Identify flowering plants during active growth.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Leaf · Flower
Documented as a tart food accent in small amounts, not as a bulk green.
Care for the patch
Leave flowers and capsules; avoid uprooting small plants.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- NC State Extension · Oxalis strictaBotanical description, range and documented use
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction