Oxalis vulcanicola 'Sunset Velvet' ('Gold') – Oxalis with golden, bronze, and pink foliage

Oxalis vulcanicola 'Sunset Velvet' ('Gold') is an ornamental cultivar of Oxalis valued for its delicate foliage and unusual color palette. The small, trifoliate leaves may combine shades of lime green, golden yellow, bronze, copper, and reddish pink, creating a multicolored effect that changes depending on light, temperature, and stage of development.

The plant forms a lush, well-branched clump, with slender, reddish stems and a slightly trailing habit. It is grown primarily for its foliage, but during the active growing period it may also produce small, yellow flowers, borne on slender stems above the plant.

Due to its compact size and vigorous growth, 'Sunset Velvet' is very suitable for pots, planters, and hanging baskets, where the shoots can gradually extend over the edge of the container.

🌿 Botanical characteristics

• Name: Oxalis vulcanicola 'Sunset Velvet'
• Botanical synonym encountered: Oxalis spiralis subsp. vulcanicola 'Sunset Velvet'
• Commercial name: Sunset Velvet, Sunset Velvet Gold
• Family: Oxalidaceae
• Plant type: perennial ornamental herbaceous plant in frost-free climates
• Small, trifoliate leaves
• Variable foliage in shades of lime green, golden yellow, bronze, copper, and reddish pink
• Slender, frequently reddish stems
• Dense, branched, and slightly trailing habit
• Small, yellow flowers
• Primarily ornamental for its foliage
• Suitable for pots, planters, and hanging baskets

🌞 Growing conditions and care

• Light: prefers a very bright position with gentle sunlight or bright partial shade. The amount of light strongly influences the foliage coloration.
• Substrate: fertile, loose, and well-drained. Avoid compact substrates and stagnant water around the roots.
• Watering: moderate and regular during the active growing period. Allow the surface layer of the substrate to dry slightly between waterings, without allowing the plant to dry out for extended periods.
• Fertilization: moderate during the growing period, especially for specimens grown in containers.
• Pruning: shoots that become too long can be shortened to encourage branching and produce a more compact, fuller plant.
• Outdoor cultivation: can be grown in the garden, on a terrace, or on a balcony during the warm season.
• Cold tolerance: it is not frost-hardy. Before frost occurs, plants intended to be kept from one year to the next should be moved to a protected space. In Romania, it is recommended as a seasonal outdoor plant or as a container plant overwintered under shelter.

🌱 Secret Garden recommendation

👉 We recommend a fertile, airy, and well-drained substrate that can retain sufficient moisture for active growth without remaining permanently waterlogged.

✨ What makes it special

• multicolored foliage with a distinctive appearance;
• combines shades of gold, green, bronze, copper, and reddish pink;
• coloration changes depending on light and temperature;
• small, trifoliate leaves with a delicate appearance;
• reddish stems that accentuate the foliage coloration;
• dense, branched, and slightly trailing habit;
• also produces small, yellow flowers;
• spectacular in pots, planters, and combinations with plants featuring contrasting foliage.

📌 Note

The foliage coloration is variable and is one of the cultivar's characteristics. The same plant may simultaneously display lime green, golden, bronze, copper, or reddish-pink leaves. The intensity and proportion of these shades are influenced by light, temperature, season, and leaf age. The plant may therefore look different from the presentation photographs.

The plant may be delivered with or without flowers, depending on its stage of development. The shoots and leaves are delicate and may show breakage, dried leaves, or other minor cosmetic imperfections as a result of handling, transport, or adjustment to new environmental conditions, without affecting the plant's viability.

Height including pot: 15–20 cm