Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Billy buttons bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Billy buttons, Drumstick flower, Bachelor's buttons, Woollyheads (Craspedia globosa).

More about billy buttons

About Billy buttons

Craspedia globosa · also called Billy buttons, Drumstick flower · flowering

An Australian native perennial grown as an annual in most temperate climates, producing perfectly spherical golden-yellow drumstick heads on long, wiry silver-grey stems. Outstanding for dried flower arrangements. Thrives in full sun in sharply drained, low-fertility soil with minimal water once established.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Botrytis on flower heads: Papery globe heads can be affected by grey mould in wet seasons. Harvest for drying before full anthesis and hang upside-down in dry, well-ventilated conditions. Remove any affected heads promptly.

The reasons billy buttons isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming billy buttons 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 billy buttons 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 billy buttons to flower

Maximise sun. Give billy buttons 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 billy buttons and get the feeding right with the billy buttons 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

Billy buttons 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 billy buttons care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Billy buttons blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my billy buttons flower?

Billy buttons 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 billy buttons bloom?

Give billy buttons 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 billy buttons normally bloom?