Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Alpine Campion bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Alpine campion, Alpine catchfly, Alps campion (Silene alpestris).

More about alpine campion

About Alpine Campion

Silene alpestris · also called Alpine campion, Alpine catchfly · flowering

Silene alpestris is a low, mat-forming evergreen perennial native to rocky, subalpine meadows and scree slopes in the Eastern Alps and Apennines. From late spring into early summer it produces showers of small, deeply fringed, star-shaped white flowers on slender branching stems above compact dark-green foliage. It thrives in moderately fertile, gritty, neutral to alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun or light part-shade, and strongly resents winter wet. The ASPCA lists the related Silene acaulis (moss campion) as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses; Silene alpestris is classified as mildly-toxic in the absence of a species-specific ASPCA listing.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Smut fungus: Black, sooty fungal masses can replace flower anthers or appear on leaves; remove affected growth promptly and improve airflow; avoid overhead watering.

The reasons alpine campion isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming alpine campion 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 alpine campion 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 alpine campion to flower

Maximise sun. Give alpine campion 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 alpine campion and get the feeding right with the alpine campion 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

Alpine Campion 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 alpine campion care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Alpine Campion blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my alpine campion flower?

Alpine Campion 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 alpine campion bloom?

Give alpine campion 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 alpine campion normally bloom?