My Deer Garden

Plant record · Bulb

Is Wood Sorrel deer resistant?

Oxalis sp.

Clover-like leaves and white wood sorrel flower
Photo by Jörg Hempel, CC BY-SA 3.0 de. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Bulb
Hardiness
Zones 3–8, genus range
Light
Full shade to part shade
Bloom
Summer
Maintenance
Low
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Wood Sorrel

Clover-like leaves that fold down at night and in bright sun. Sharp lemony taste from oxalic acid, which is what deters browsing. The woodland species is well behaved; several of the weedy Oxalis are among the hardest garden weeds to eradicate, so identify before you plant.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
8 to 12 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Wood Sorrel

Other bulbs with the same deer rating.

Where Wood Sorrel grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Wood Sorrel

Is Wood Sorrel deer resistant?
Wood Sorrel (Oxalis sp.) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Wood Sorrel grow in?
Wood Sorrel is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
Does Wood Sorrel grow in shade?
Yes. Wood Sorrel tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
Is Wood Sorrel toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Wood Sorrel as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Wood Sorrel belongs to.

All bulbs·Seldom damaged·Shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .