I have both clover and oxalis growing all over this time of year. I have not yet seen a good post on how to tell them apart. Since they are so common, and one is a good food, while the other is one we like to pull out and get rid of.
Here's a picture from my yard just now. There is actually some clover growing in amongst the oxalis. Can you tell the difference? I couldn't for the longest time and it was driving me nuts! I want to get rid of the oxalis, but I'd rather leave the clover.
It was east to tell them apart when they bloomed as the flowers are an easy way to tell them apart.
Oxalis has the trumpet shaped flowers:
Clover has the round, "spikey" type flowers.
But I certainly didn't want to wait until it goes to flower. I'd rather rip it out when I first saw it starting to invade!!
The leaves are actually different. Here's the first photo again of my yard this morning. Both clover and oxalis (sorrel) have a three lobed leaf at the end of the stem. There are two types of leaves, though. One is more round or oval shaped. The other is a distinct heart shape with a fold down the middle.
So here's two good photos of the difference:
Oxalis, wood sorrel. Rip it out. It won't hurt your tortoise if he eats it, but it should not be eaten in quantity. It would be like feeding spinach only.
Note the heart shape to the leaves.
And here's clover. A much more uniform round or oval leaf.
Here's a picture from my yard just now. There is actually some clover growing in amongst the oxalis. Can you tell the difference? I couldn't for the longest time and it was driving me nuts! I want to get rid of the oxalis, but I'd rather leave the clover.
It was east to tell them apart when they bloomed as the flowers are an easy way to tell them apart.
Oxalis has the trumpet shaped flowers:
Clover has the round, "spikey" type flowers.
But I certainly didn't want to wait until it goes to flower. I'd rather rip it out when I first saw it starting to invade!!
The leaves are actually different. Here's the first photo again of my yard this morning. Both clover and oxalis (sorrel) have a three lobed leaf at the end of the stem. There are two types of leaves, though. One is more round or oval shaped. The other is a distinct heart shape with a fold down the middle.
So here's two good photos of the difference:
Oxalis, wood sorrel. Rip it out. It won't hurt your tortoise if he eats it, but it should not be eaten in quantity. It would be like feeding spinach only.
Note the heart shape to the leaves.
And here's clover. A much more uniform round or oval leaf.