Flower profile
Bermuda buttercup
Oxalis pes-caprae
Bermuda buttercup is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Oxalis pes-caprae is a species of tristylous yellow-flowering plant in the wood sorrel family Oxalidaceae. Oxalis cernua is a less common synonym for this species. It is commonly known as African wood-sorrel, Bermuda buttercup, Bermuda sorrel, buttercup oxalis, Cape sorrel, English weed, goat's-foot, sourgrass, soursob, or soursop; Afrikaans: suring; Arabic: hommayda (حميضة).
- It belongs to the Oxalidaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 27,923 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #10 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Bermuda buttercup gift ideas
Handmade bermuda buttercup gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Bermuda buttercup art print
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Bermuda buttercup greeting card
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Bermuda buttercup mug
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Bermuda buttercup earrings
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Bermuda buttercup embroidery pattern
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Bermuda buttercup sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in January–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Good Luck Plant” (Oxalis spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: All parts of the plant have toxic potential, although the possibility of serious effects is usually limited to ingestions of large quantities. Consuming Oxalis species can produce colic in horses… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records bermuda buttercup in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Florida.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, Ventura, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OXPE.
- iNaturalist, Oxalis pes-caprae: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Oxalis pes-caprae (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Oxalis pes-caprae (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.