An alien with its origins in South America, pink wood sorrel has established itself around most of the Mediterranean and in Western Europe as far north as Great Britain and Norway. With its bright pink flowers and trifoliate leaves, it was probably introduced as a decorative plant, which is sometimes known as windowbox wood sorrel. Like the closely related and more widespread yellow Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) it is toxic to many native plants around it. The species name articulata comes from the structure of the roots which are tough with noddulated segments.