Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Candy Cane Sorrel bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Striped Wood Sorrel, Candy Stripe Oxalis (Oxalis versicolor).

More about candy cane sorrel

About Candy Cane Sorrel

Oxalis versicolor · also called Striped Wood Sorrel, Candy Stripe Oxalis · flowering

Candy Cane Sorrel is a delightful South African bulbous Oxalis producing white flowers with vivid red-striped backs that spiral closed like candy canes in overcast weather or at night. Forms a neat low clump of clover-like leaves. Ideal for pots and alpine or sunny borders. Contains soluble oxalates — mildly toxic to pets if consumed in quantity.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Flowers fail to open: Normal response to low light or overcast weather — this species is photonastic (opens with sun). Move to a brighter position if flowers remain closed even on sunny days.

The reasons candy cane sorrel isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming candy cane sorrel traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding candy cane sorrel a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get candy cane sorrel to flower

Maximise sun. Give candy cane sorrel the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for candy cane sorrel and get the feeding right with the candy cane sorrel fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Candy Cane Sorrel flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full candy cane sorrel care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Candy Cane Sorrel blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my candy cane sorrel flower?

Candy Cane Sorrel blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make candy cane sorrel bloom?

Give candy cane sorrel the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does candy cane sorrel normally bloom?