Why Is My Oxalis Drooping? (6 Reasons)
Melissa Johnson
Adored by many gardening enthusiasts, Oxalis, also known as False Shamrock, could be a wonderful addition to your home, bringing more appeal to your living environment.
With its vibrant colors, gorgeous butterfly-shaped leaves, and beautiful bloom throughout the year, Oxalis will brighten up your space and perfectly complement other plants in your home.
Plus, Oxalis plants are fairly resilient and require minimal care. Even beginners will find it rather easy to grow and help it flourish.
As Oxalis is a perennial plant, this means that with a low level of effort, you enjoy it bringing life to your home for years.
Still, it’s important to be aware of potential issues you may run into while growing.
One of those issues is foliage becoming dull and lifeless which may lead you to wonder why is my oxalis drooping.
Below, I explain why this happens and is it any reason for concern.
So, let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Why Is My Oxalis Drooping?
There are several potential issues causing the drooping of the Oxalis plant.
Some of them are perfectly natural and happen as a part of a plant’s life cycle, while others may signal more serious issues and require some action on your part.
Even if the latter is the case, a timely reaction will probably save your plant and keep it thriving.
Natural Dormancy
The good news is that if you notice that your Oxalis is drooping, most likely, there’s nothing wrong with it.
Every year, your Oxalis will go through a dormancy period you’ll recognize by fading flowers and shriveling leaves.
Usually, this happens in the late autumn, just before the winter, although it’s not that rare for the plant to go into hibernation in the late summer.
The dormancy period is normal and, furthermore, it’s a chance for the plan to rejuvenate itself.
It’s a way for the plant to deal with harsh winter conditions, once it’s done resting, it should get back to its old self.
What to Do?
The Oxalis dormant period can last from a couple of weeks to three months.
During that time, the best thing you can do is just let your plant rest, and allow it to complete its dormancy naturally.
When you notice early signs that your plant is going dormant, stop watering it and let the leaves completely dry out.
Once the Oxalis is dormant, clean out all the fallen leaves and stems, leaving only bare soil.
Store the plant in a cool and dark place to rest for the next couple of weeks until you see it showing new growth.
At this time, place the plant near a sunny window and start watering it lightly to help it come out of the dormant stage.
Never water your Oxalis while it’s dormant. This won’t help the plant and water will only sit in the soil and potentially cause root tubers to rot.
Overwatering
Another potential reason why Oxalis leaves may look mushy and won’t open is overwatering.
Oxalis loves moist soil and needs it to thrive but you should be careful not to down the plant in too much water.
If you do it, the plant will soon look like it’s dying with droopy and soft leaves. In some cases, when you overwater Oxalis, leaves may even turn yellow and start showing dark spots,
What to Do?
Overwatered Oxalis can still be saved and given a chance to thrive again.
The first step is, of course, to stop adding more water to your Oxalis when it’s already plenty wet.
Let the soil dry out. You can speed up this process by moving the plant into a warmer spot, so the water will evaporate faster.
If some of the leaves are especially droopy, cut them off.
This will help the plant recover as it will be able to redirect more energy and nutrients to new stems.
In the most extreme cases of overwatering, you may need to cut down all the foliage, repot the rhizomes into new dry soil. and have the plant grow again from scratch.
Underwatering
Striking the perfect balance when watering the plant is the most important thing for its well-being.
You have to be careful not to overwater it, but underwatering can be just as damaging.
If your Oxalis is not receiving enough water, it will also become droopy and its leaves will become crisp and lifeless.
What to Do?
If you notice that your Oxalis is not getting enough water, water it deeply a couple of times until it perks up and becomes lively again.
In general, Oxalis should be watered every 7 days or so, but it’s best to check the soil regularly to make sure you don’t under or overwater it.
Simply check the top 1 or 2 inches of soil with your bare finger and add water if it feels dry.
If you wait too long and the soil gets too dry, it won’t be able to transport the nutrients to the plant.
Lack of Sunlight
Like all plants, Oxalis thrives in sunlight and the lack of it may cause the plant to wilt and become droopy.
This is often the issue when Oxalis is kept indoors and, therefore, unable to receive enough sunlight for proper development, as the photosynthesis rate decreases.
If this issue is not addressed on time, the plant may completely perish and die.
What to Do?
Check where your Oxalis is located and whether it has something, such as a bigger plant, shading it.
Ideally, Oxalis should be placed near the window, but away from direct sunlight.
Sheers or curtains can help you with this. However, suddenly moving the plant to a bright area may be too much stress for it, so do it gradually.
Once you have it at a perfect spot, rotate the plant from time to time to allow each side to get enough sunlight and promote uniform foliage growth.
Repotting Distress
Moving the plant from one pot to another while it’s not in the dormant state will likely cause a transplant shock.
This means that, initially, after being transplanted into another pot, Oxalis may show some distress, mainly displayed by drooping.
Transplant shock is to be expected even if you’ve done the whole repotting procedure properly.
It’s just the way plants react to this type of circumstance.
What to Do?
Most likely, the plant will return to its normal state within a couple of days.
All you have to do is provide it with proper care and monitor the process to make sure everything is in order.
If needed, you may check the soil and add more or less water.
Diseases
As Oxalis is rather resistant to various diseases, this is the least likely reason that may cause drooping.
Still, in rare cases, your Oxalis may be affected by pest infestation of Rust.
Rust, which appears if you overwater your plants, causes drooped foliage and reddish fungal spots on leaves.
What to Do?
In the case of the Rust, there’s not much you can do except cut off the affected leaves and distance your Oxalis from other plants.
If you think that pest infestation is the issue, spray the foliage with insecticide or rub the leaves with alcohol.
Conclusion
Besides its visual appeal, Oxalis owes much of its popularity to the fact that it’s very easy to maintain.
However, this doesn’t mean that they don’t need any care at all. You should monitor and regularly check your plant to make sure that it’s in a good condition.
One of the signs that worry the Oxalis owner the most, is the drooping foliage.
While it may signal certain issues, drooping Oxalis is most likely just going into the dormant stage, meaning you have nothing to worry about.
However, if drooping appears outside the dormancy season, it may be a sign that you’re not watering the plant properly, that it doesn’t have enough sunlight, or, in rare cases, it may point to disease.
Recognizing these signs on time is the key to keeping your Oxalis healthy and thriving.
