Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Black Barlow columbine, granny's bonnet (Aquilegia vulgaris 'Black Barlow').

More about aquilegia 'black barlow'

About Aquilegia 'Black Barlow'

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Black Barlow' · also called Black Barlow columbine, granny's bonnet · flowering

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Black Barlow' is a striking double columbine with fully filled, spurless pompom flowers in deep maroon-black, held on tall stems above blue-green ferny foliage in late spring. A vigorous cottage-garden perennial, it thrives in sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil, and self-seeds to form dramatic dark clumps.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leaf miner: Columbine leaf miners tunnel pale trails through the leaves. Damage is cosmetic only; shear the foliage to the base after flowering to encourage clean new growth.

The reasons aquilegia 'black barlow' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming aquilegia 'black barlow' 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 aquilegia 'black barlow' 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 aquilegia 'black barlow' to flower

Maximise sun. Give aquilegia 'black barlow' 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 aquilegia 'black barlow' and get the feeding right with the aquilegia 'black barlow' 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

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' 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 aquilegia 'black barlow' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my aquilegia 'black barlow' flower?

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' 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 aquilegia 'black barlow' bloom?

Give aquilegia 'black barlow' 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 aquilegia 'black barlow' normally bloom?