Scientific Name
Oxalis spp.
Common Name
Shamrock, lucky clover, good luck plant

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

Characteristics

Family
Oxalidaceae
Plant Description
Annual or perennial herbs; leaves long-stalked with 3 leaflets; flowers 5-parted, white, yellow, lavender, or rose; fruit a capsule.
Origin
Americas and South Africa.
Distribution
Throughout.
Where Found
Houseplant or interiorscape; weedy in disturbed areas, lawns; landscape in flower gardens as herbaceous perennial.
Mode
Ingestion, but no documented cases in humans.
Poisonous Part
All parts.
Symptoms
Caution: large quantities may cause trembling, cramps, and staggering as in grazing animals.
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Small amounts of leaves, flowers, seeds, tubers/roots eaten raw are not dangerous. Leaves, flowers, seeds, tubers/roots HARVEST TIME : Only collect plants from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Gather stems and leaves during early spring through fall. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Wash edible parts thoroughly with warm water. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Tender stems and leaves can be steeped in hot water. Use liquid as a sour lemonade-type drink. For tea, use a handful of leaves per pint of water. Add to salads for a lemony taste. Cook with greens to enhance mild flavors. Remove stems if too stringy. Use flowers raw in salads or as cooked greens. Add young seed pods to salads or cook with the leaves and stems. Clean tubers and roots and eat raw or cooked with the greens, seeds, and flowers. SOURCE: Larson, Ken. 1995. God's Free Harvest, Rhema Publishing, Inc., Suwanee, GA. 231 pp. Peterson, L. 1978. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 330 pp.
Toxic Principle
Soluble oxalate.
Severity
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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