Wild Oats is a native wildflower with interesting foliage and flowers. It can be used as a ground cover in shade or part shade areas as the roots spread by stolons. It can be found inhabiting deciduous and mixed evergreen deciduous forests, It prefers moist, rich, acidic soils with high humus content and good drainage but can be adaptable to other soil types. The flowers are yellow or cream and hang in an elongated bell shape. Cover with a layer of leaves in winter and do not remove them in the spring to increase humus to the soil. It is difficult to transplant due to its long underground stem. Propagation can be done by root cuttings or planting from seed. When growing from seed, plant immediately upon ripening, don't allow the seeds to dry out. If the goal is to create a ground cover, allow the existing plants to seed out each year, seeding itself. Over time, the area will fill in. Young leaves can be eaten as cooked greens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems though young plants can be damaged by slugs.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
In early spring the stalkless, oval leaves may look grass-like, up to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, tapering to a point at both ends. The edges are smooth and often rolled up but flatten and spread out with maturity. The undersides are pale to whitish and has fine hairs. Distinct parallel veins are visible on the leaf underside. The leaves are not pierced by the stem, but clasp the stem.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1 in. pale yellow or cream flowers hang bell-like on short stems singly or rarely in pairs. The outer surface typically will have fine veining.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
The fruit is a ¾ to 1¼ inch long capsule, generally oval to round with an abrupt point at the tip and tapering at the base to a short stalk. There are 3 distinct winged edges around the capsule.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The main stem forks into 2 branches towards the top of the plant. Each branch will have a few leaves. The main stem is sheathed along the lower 1/3 and will often zigzag between the leaves. When young, the stem will be green. By flowering time, it can turn a reddish-purple along the upper portion.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern North America
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , ND , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , NS , ON