Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Anise-scented Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Anise-scented Sage, Blue Anise Sage, Brazilian Sage (Salvia guaranitica).

More about anise-scented sage

About Anise-scented Sage

Salvia guaranitica · also called Anise-scented Sage, Blue Anise Sage · flowering

Anise-scented sage is a vigorous, tuberous-rooted subshrub native to South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina), prized for its deep cobalt-blue flowers held in near-black calyxes that bloom from late summer until hard frost. Brushing the wrinkled, hairy leaves releases a pleasant anise fragrance that gives the plant its common name. In the UK and cooler US zones it is grown as a half-hardy perennial — the tuberous roots can be lifted and stored like dahlias, or the whole plant overwintered in a frost-free space. The Salvia genus is listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons anise-scented sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming anise-scented sage 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 anise-scented sage 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 anise-scented sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give anise-scented sage 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 anise-scented sage and get the feeding right with the anise-scented sage 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

Anise-scented Sage 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 anise-scented sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Anise-scented Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my anise-scented sage flower?

Anise-scented Sage 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 anise-scented sage bloom?

Give anise-scented sage 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 anise-scented sage normally bloom?