Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Bitterroot, Resurrection Plant, Tobacco Root (Lewisia rediviva).

More about bitterroot

About Bitterroot

Lewisia rediviva · also called Bitterroot, Resurrection Plant · flowering

The state flower of Montana, Lewisia rediviva is a striking deciduous alpine wildflower bearing large, showy pink to white flowers in late spring on bare ground, long after the narrow, succulent winter leaves have withered. Completely summer-dormant, it requires desert-dry conditions after bloom and is exceptionally cold-hardy but intolerant of summer moisture.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Slow to establish from seed: Seeds require warm stratification then cold stratification (double dormancy) and germination can take 2 years. Plants take 3–5 years to flower from seed. Patience is essential.

The reasons bitterroot isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bitterroot 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 bitterroot 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 bitterroot to flower

Maximise sun. Give bitterroot 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 bitterroot and get the feeding right with the bitterroot 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

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

Bitterroot blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bitterroot flower?

Bitterroot 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 bitterroot bloom?

Give bitterroot 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 bitterroot normally bloom?