Oxalis versicolor

Candy cane sorrel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Oxalidales
Family: Oxalidaceae
Genus: Oxalis
Species:
O. versicolor
Binomial name
Oxalis versicolor

Oxalis versicolor or candy cane sorrel is a species of flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae found in South Africa.[1]

A bulbous perennial, it grows to 8–15 cm (3.1–5.9 in) forming a mound of fresh green leaves, each leaf composed of three elongated leaflets. In late summer and autumn, narrow white tubular buds form at the tip of slender stems. A curved scarlet edging to each petal gives the appearance of a candy cane. The flowers open in full sunlight, but remain furled at other times.[2]

In cultivation in the UK this plant is only completely hardy in mild or coastal areas, down to −5 °C (23 °F). It has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3][4]

In the United States this plant grows up to 12 inches tall, prefers full to partial sun, blooms in the summer, and is hardy in USDA zones 7 – 9.[5]

  1. ^ "Oxalis versicolor". Tropicos.
  2. ^ "Oxalis versicolor (candy cane sorrel)". Gardenia.net. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  3. ^ "RHS Plantfinder – Oxalis versicolor". Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  4. ^ "AGM Plants – Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 70. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  5. ^ Spring 2021 Garden Catalog. Bloomington, IL: Burgess Seed & Plant Co. 2021. p. 20.