Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Blue Creeping Speedwell bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Blue Creeping Speedwell, Georgia Blue Speedwell (Veronica umbrosa 'Georgia Blue').

More about blue creeping speedwell

About Blue Creeping Speedwell

Veronica umbrosa 'Georgia Blue' · also called Blue Creeping Speedwell, Georgia Blue Speedwell · flowering

Blue Creeping Speedwell is a low, spreading semi-evergreen perennial bearing masses of brilliant cobalt-blue flowers with white centres from late winter into spring. Its dark, bronzed foliage remains attractive through winter. A tough, versatile ground cover suited to rock gardens, borders, and between paving stones in temperate gardens.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons blue creeping speedwell isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming blue creeping speedwell 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 blue creeping speedwell 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 blue creeping speedwell to flower

Maximise sun. Give blue creeping speedwell 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 blue creeping speedwell and get the feeding right with the blue creeping speedwell 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

Blue Creeping Speedwell 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 blue creeping speedwell care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Blue Creeping Speedwell blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my blue creeping speedwell flower?

Blue Creeping Speedwell 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 blue creeping speedwell bloom?

Give blue creeping speedwell 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 blue creeping speedwell normally bloom?