Oxalis Golden Cape

If your garden needs a pick-me-up towards the end of summer, Oxalis ‘Golden Cape’—also known as Candy Cane Sorrel or Cape Shamrock—is a perfect choice. This charming variety puts on a truly striking display with golden-yellow blooms streaked with deep red on the outer petals—like they’ve been hand-painted with flames. Its neat, palm-like foliage adds a delicate structure, even before the flowers appear.

Planted in autumn, this South African native quietly establishes over winter and begins to flower from late summer into early autumn, typically blooming from August through November in the UK. The flowers open wide in sunshine and fold back into tight, candy-wrapper curls as the light fades—adding a playful twist to its already cheerful display.

Ideal for containers, rockeries, or sunny, sheltered borders, Golden Cape is also surprisingly hardy in well-drained soil and will return reliably year after year, multiplying gently as it goes. A few bulbs soon become a colourful colony, making it a lovely investment in long-term garden colour.

That said, Oxalis ‘Golden Cape’ isn't fully hardy in the face of heavy frost. As a South African native, it prefers milder winters and can be damaged by prolonged freezing, especially in damp soil.

To keep your candy cane sorrel safe:

• In milder UK regions (like coastal or southern areas), you might get away with leaving the bulbs in the ground—just make sure the soil is well-drained and sheltered.

In colder or frost-prone areas, it's best to:

• Grow them in pots or containers you can move to a frost-free spot (like a greenhouse, porch, or bright windowsill).
• Or lift the bulbs after the foliage dies back and store them in a dry, cool, frost-free place (just like dahlias or gladiolus).

These bulbs are small and easy to handle, so if you’re ever unsure, it’s worth the extra step—especially when they reward you with even more blooms next year!

We ship our Oxalis ‘Golden Cape’ bulbs in autumn, ready for immediate planting. Just pop them in a sunny spot, protect from winter wet, and enjoy the joyful display that follows—right when your garden needs a late-season boost.

• Botanical name: Oxalis versicolor 'Golden Cape'
• Flower colour: Golden yellow with red edges
• Bulb size: 5/+
• Established height: 5–15 cm
• Established spread: 10–20 cm
• Plant spacing: 100 bulbs per m²
• Leaf colour: Green
• Habit: Spreading
• Life cycle: Perennial
• Hardiness: Half hardy
• Years to establish: 1–2 years (often flowers in the first season)
• Sunlight: Full sun/Partial shade
• Position: Sheltered
• Suitable for: Pots, gravel gardens, coastal gardens, rockery
• Soil acidity: Any
• Soil moisture: Free-draining
• Soil type: Loam, sandy, stony, multipurpose compost (if well-drained)