Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Wood Sorrel, Common Wood Sorrel, True Shamrock, Alleluia.

More about wood sorrel

About Wood Sorrel

Oxalis acetosella · also called Wood Sorrel, Common Wood Sorrel · edible

A low, creeping European and Asian woodland perennial carpeting shaded forest floors with trifoliate leaves and small white, pink-veined flowers in spring. Leaves have a bright lemony flavour from oxalic acid and are used fresh in salads and as a seasoning. Eat in strict moderation due to oxalate content; toxic to pets in quantity.

Cold limit: USDA 3-7 · RHS H7 (-5–20°C)

What wood sorrel's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — wood sorrel is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-7 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Wood Sorrel is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for wood sorrel as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can wood sorrel go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-7 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when wood sorrel can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Wood Sorrel hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is wood sorrel cold hardy?

Yes — wood sorrel is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-7, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Wood Sorrel is hardy across USDA 3-7; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature wood sorrel can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Wood Sorrel is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is wood sorrel?

Wood Sorrel is rated USDA 3-7 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can wood sorrel survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-7 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to wood sorrel below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.