Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Alpine Heron's Bill, Alpine Geranium, Cranesbill (Erodium reichardii).

More about alpine heron's bill

About Alpine Heron's Bill

Erodium reichardii · also called Alpine Heron's Bill, Alpine Geranium · flowering

Erodium reichardii is a miniature, mat-forming alpine perennial native to rocky limestone slopes in the Balearic Islands and Pyrenees. It bears a long succession of dainty white or pale pink veined flowers from late spring through summer and demands gritty, sharply drained, near-neutral to alkaline soil in a sunny, sheltered position. The single most important care rule is excellent drainage year-round, especially in winter. The genus is not listed as toxic by the ASPCA and is considered low-risk to pets.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons alpine heron's bill isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming alpine heron's bill 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 heron's bill 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 heron's bill to flower

Maximise sun. Give alpine heron's bill 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 heron's bill and get the feeding right with the alpine heron's bill 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 Heron's Bill 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 heron's bill care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Alpine Heron's Bill blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my alpine heron's bill flower?

Alpine Heron's Bill 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 heron's bill bloom?

Give alpine heron's bill 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 heron's bill normally bloom?