Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Bird-in-a-bush bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bird-in-a-bush, Fumewort, Spring Fumitory, Solid-tubered Corydalis (Corydalis solida).

More about bird-in-a-bush

About Bird-in-a-bush

Corydalis solida · also called Bird-in-a-bush, Fumewort · flowering

Bird-in-a-bush is a tuberous, spring-ephemeral perennial of the poppy family (Papaveraceae) native to Europe and temperate Asia, naturalised in parts of Britain. It emerges from a solid, rounded corm in early spring, producing greyish-green divided leaves and dense racemes of purple-pink spurred flowers before dying down completely by mid-June. The key care point is to plant corms at 5–7 cm depth in humus-rich, well-drained soil in dappled shade and leave them undisturbed once established. Plant material contains alkaloids and is toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons bird-in-a-bush isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bird-in-a-bush 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 bird-in-a-bush 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 bird-in-a-bush to flower

Maximise sun. Give bird-in-a-bush 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 bird-in-a-bush and get the feeding right with the bird-in-a-bush 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

Bird-in-a-bush 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 bird-in-a-bush care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Bird-in-a-bush blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bird-in-a-bush flower?

Bird-in-a-bush 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 bird-in-a-bush bloom?

Give bird-in-a-bush 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 bird-in-a-bush normally bloom?