Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hoya Pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Black Dragon Hoya (Hoya pubicalyx 'Black Dragon').

More about hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon'

About Hoya Pubicalyx 'Black Dragon'

Hoya pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' · also called Black Dragon Hoya · flowering

Hoya pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' is a vigorous climbing wax plant grown for its strikingly dark, near-black maroon flower umbels with reflexed petals and a velvety sheen. Silver-flecked leaves climb fast on a trellis. Like other pubicalyx, it blooms readily in bright indirect light with a chunky, fast-draining mix and dry-down watering.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Refuses to bloom: Common until the plant matures and settles. Provide bright indirect light, keep it slightly pot-bound, and never cut off the spent flower peduncles — new dark umbels form on those same spurs each season.

The reasons hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' 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 hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' 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 hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' to flower

Maximise sun. Give hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' 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 hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' and get the feeding right with the hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' 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

Hoya Pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' 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 hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hoya Pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' flower?

Hoya Pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' 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 hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' bloom?

Give hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' 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 hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon' normally bloom?