Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Alsobia dianthiflora bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called lace flower vine, white episcia relative (Alsobia dianthiflora).

More about alsobia dianthiflora

About Alsobia dianthiflora

Alsobia dianthiflora · also called lace flower vine, white episcia relative · flowering

Alsobia dianthiflora, the lace flower vine (formerly Episcia dianthiflora), is a creeping gesneriad from Mexico and Central America with small velvety green leaves on trailing, runner-forming stems and showy fringed white tubular flowers. Grown as a hanging-basket or ground-cover houseplant, it wants bright indirect light, even moisture, high humidity and warm, frost-free conditions.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few flowers: Low light or dry air reduces the fringed white blooms. Provide bright indirect light, high humidity and a bloom-formula feed during the growing season.

The reasons alsobia dianthiflora isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming alsobia dianthiflora 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 alsobia dianthiflora 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 alsobia dianthiflora to flower

Maximise sun. Give alsobia dianthiflora 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 alsobia dianthiflora and get the feeding right with the alsobia dianthiflora 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

Alsobia dianthiflora 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 alsobia dianthiflora care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Alsobia dianthiflora blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my alsobia dianthiflora flower?

Alsobia dianthiflora 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 alsobia dianthiflora bloom?

Give alsobia dianthiflora 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 alsobia dianthiflora normally bloom?