Common Yellow Oxalis vs Least Yellow-sorrel

Oxalis stricta compared with Oxalis exilis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Yellow Oxalis	Least Yellow-sorrel
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Oxalidales (Oxalidales)	Oxalidales (Oxalidales)
Family same	Oxalidaceae	Oxalidaceae
Genus same	Oxalis	Oxalis
Species	Oxalis stricta	Oxalis exilis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Yellow Oxalis and Least Yellow-sorrel share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Oxalis.

Conservation Status

Common Yellow Oxalis

NE — Not Evaluated

Least Yellow-sorrel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Yellow Oxalis	Least Yellow-sorrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Yellow Oxalis

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Georgia, Turkey), Europe (33 countries), and North America (Canada, United States).

Least Yellow-sorrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Common Yellow Oxalis

<em>Oxalis stricta</em>, the common yellow oxalis or upright yellow wood sorrel, is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant in the family Oxalidaceae. It is native to North America but has been widely naturalized across Europe, Asia, Australia, and other temperate regions, where it occurs as a common weed of gardens, cultivated land, roadsides, and disturbed ground. The plant typically grows 10–40 cm tall and produces trifoliate clover-like leaves with three heart-shaped leaflets that fold downward at night or under bright sunlight, a response known as nyctinasty. Bright yellow five-petaled flowers are borne on slender stalks from spring through autumn. Seed pods explode at maturity to disperse seeds over short distances, contributing to the plant's effectiveness as a colonizer. Biological traits such as precise average lifespan and body measurements remain poorly documented in consolidated literature. <em>Oxalis stricta</em> contains oxalic acid, which gives the plant a sour taste and can be mildly toxic to livestock in large quantities. It provides nectar for small pollinators. The species has not been formally evaluated for IUCN conservation status but is abundant and widespread globally, with no conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 11 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States