Flower profile
Redwood sorrel
Oxalis smalliana
Redwood sorrel is a flowering plant. In California it's most often seen in bloom in January–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Oxalis smalliana, commonly known as redwood sorrel or California wood sorrel, is a species of the wood sorrel family, Oxalidaceae, in the genus Oxalis native to moist coast redwood forests of western North America from Monterey County, California to Curry County, Oregon.
- It belongs to the Oxalidaceae family. iNaturalist
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 10,768 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #86 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Redwood sorrel gift ideas
Handmade redwood sorrel gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Redwood sorrel art print
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Redwood sorrel greeting card
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Redwood sorrel mug
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Redwood sorrel earrings
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Redwood sorrel embroidery pattern
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Redwood sorrel sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in January–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Good Luck Plant” (Oxalis spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: All parts of the plant have toxic potential, although the possibility of serious effects is usually limited to ingestions of large quantities. Consuming Oxalis species can produce colic in horses… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
- iNaturalist, Oxalis smalliana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Oxalis smalliana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Alan Rockefeller via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.