Oxalis triangularis – Butterfly Plant “Effect” (Small)

I’ve always been drawn to the way the Butterfly Plant opens and closes with the light, like it’s alive with rhythm. I first noticed it years ago at local Korean laundry mat I used to go to in Baltimore. As I wait for my ticket I would look at these delicate wonders. I got this plant in South Florida and it sure loves it down here. Its colors are deeply captivating, its form geometric and elegantly simple.

Oxalis triangularis, commonly called Butterfly Plant or Purple Shamrock, is loved for its triangular, violet-hued leaves and small pale flowers. Native to South America, it’s celebrated as both ornamental and symbolic—its shamrock-like shape tied to luck and joy. The plant folds its leaves closed at night and reopens them in daylight, a natural rhythm that makes it seem almost animated. To me, it feels like a living sculpture, offering both beauty and wonder in equal measure.

🪴 Note About This Plant

• Common names: Butterfly Plant, Purple Shamrock, False Shamrock.
• Opens in daylight, closes at night; thrives in bright, indirect light (see more tropical plants).
• Known for bold purple leaves and delicate white to pink flowers.