Oxalis versicolor (candy cane sorrel, "Shiborikatabami")

Japanese name: シボリカタバミ （絞片喰）
Scientific name: Oxalis versicolor

[Overview]
A perennial 8–15 cm tall, grown for ornament.
It has an ovoid bulb underground.
The leaves consist of 3 leaflets, are alternate and gathered spirally at the stem tip, and form a mound.
The leaflets are linear to linear-oblong, broader toward the tip, with a notched apex.
They have petioles.
A single flower is borne at the tip of a flower stalk extending from the leaf axil.
The flower is 2–3 cm across, a 5-petaled white to white tinged with very pale purple; because the outside of each petal has a red border running from the upper part to the base on one side, the buds and closed flowers show a red-and-white striped pattern.
The flowers open in sunlight, and close and face upward on cloudy days and at night.
The aboveground parts die back before summer and the plant goes dormant.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by dividing bulbs.
It is easy to grow and multiplies well in a sunny, well-drained place.
Take care not to overwater; for potted plants, water thoroughly after the soil has dried during the growing season, and withhold water during dormancy.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
It is tolerant of dryness.
No fertilizer is particularly needed.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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