help in identifying plant.you knowledgeable gardeners.

[cookiecookuk]

hi have this plant and do not know if it is friend or foe...will put the picture big as the clump of plant you can see is only about 5 x 5 inches. the little flower heads are less than half inch and are yellowy orange.the leaves and red purple..( i have written this as not sure how clear the pic will be to some)

[suzieseaside]

I think it's an Oxalis (Wood Sorrel).  Very pretty and delicate plant.  They grow in the wild but there are several garden varieties too.

Not sure what you mean by 'friend or foe'.   A 'weed' is just a plant in the wrong place! 

[ed_blackadder_1]

Oxalis, my mother would call it a weed, if you can keep it contained then it is lovely, but it grows on runners under the ground and once you have got it it is very hard to get rid of,  the drive in our old house was covered in it and we had to virtually napalm it to get rid. it will grow anywhere, gravel, concrete or soil.

Personally I wouldn't encourage it.

[made-for-an-angel-charms]

I have it as a pot plant and makes a good display. everyone admires it and have taken roots from it for 3 friends

[cookiecookuk]

i have now destroyed it and put it in the rubish bag...

all i need now is for someone to come on here and tell me it is was a rare plant and worth a fortune..:)

[ilove2patch]

It's a weed that will take over given half a chance. It's a real pest in my garden although it is quite pretty!

[twishy123]

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@cookiecookuk wrote:

i have now destroyed it and put it in the rubish bag...

all i need now is for someone to come on here and tell me it is was a rare plant and worth a fortune..:)

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OOHHH NOOOOO!!! what have you done??? 

It's a rare plant and worth a fortune....

The leaves turn to gold as they dry out and the yellow flowers become the rarest of rare yellow rubies...

well you did say...

[saasher2012]

my expert opinion is , Yep! That's a plant!!. lol.
& it's so rare you mustn't throw it in the rubbish bag. Oh dear!! lol.

[captainbovine]

it's a pest!!!! we got ours by putting the wild bird food out onto the path, before we knew it, it was all over the flippin' place, it's red clover. The roots go way way down so make sure you get it all out or it will be back to haunt ya!

It is pretty though.

[brynteg11]

I've got it growing in a pot with other plants. I quite like it!

[cookiecookuk]

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@twishy123 wrote:

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@cookiecookuk wrote:

i have now destroyed it and put it in the rubish bag...

all i need now is for someone to come on here and tell me it is was a rare plant and worth a fortune..:)

---

OOHHH NOOOOO!!! what have you done??? 

It's a rare plant and worth a fortune....

The leaves turn to gold as they dry out and the yellow flowers become the rarest of rare yellow rubies...

well you did say...

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your post made me giggle.even oh smiled.  when it grows again i will send you some so you can be rich as well....

thank to all other posts....

at least io know what it is .

[suzieseaside]

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@captainbovine wrote:

it's a pest!!!! we got ours by putting the wild bird food out onto the path, before we knew it, it was all over the flippin' place, it's red clover. The roots go way way down so make sure you get it all out or it will be back to haunt ya!

It is pretty though.

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No, it isn't Red clover. Red clover flowers are completely different from Oxalis which belongs to a different plant family.

[captainbovine]

OK that's me told then!!!....so I can't blame the wild bird food then can I?

[suzieseaside]

  I doubt it CB, but those plants are very prolific seed producers. 

I don't have a garden with lawn or soil (unfortunately), but just a shady yard with plants in pots so I don't find it a pest. It should be removed from containers I gather because it can harbour other plant pests but so far it hasn't seen any of my container plants off.  But then I have a 'survival of the fittest approach to my yard' and only grow tough plants tolerant to dry shade. I also have the bigger purple-leaved one as a house plant which is very pretty.

Good luck to cookie in getting rid of it  - sounds as if you got it before it spread everywhere, but keep vigilant.

[ilove2patch]

When it goes to seed the seed pods burst with some velocity spreading them everywhere!

[ed_blackadder_1]

Amen to that......................... bloomin things