The green leaves often close and droop at night or under high light intensity. If creeping woodsorrel plants are stressed from drought or full sunlight, the leaves sometimes turn reddish and wilt. There are about 10 to 50 seeds per pod, with more than 5,000 seeds per plant. When seed pods mature, they burst open and forcefully expel the seeds, which may land 10 feet or more from the plant. Because seeds are rough, they adhere to surfaces of machinery or clothing.
Light is required for germination.
The seeds can germinate any time of year, but most plant establishment takes place in fall. It is not known how long seeds remain viable in the soil. Creeping woodsorrel grows rapidly from a seedling, forming a fleshy taproot and an extensive rootstock that expands outward. Though flowering seems to occur almost all year, spring is a time of heavy flowering and seed formation. Extremely cold or hot temperatures reduce growth, but the plants do not die.