Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Bugle lily, Cape bugle-lily, Watsonia (Watsonia borbonica).

More about bugle lily

About Bugle Lily

Watsonia borbonica · also called Bugle lily, Cape bugle-lily · flowering

Watsonia borbonica is a tall, elegant cormous perennial native to the Western Cape of South Africa, producing graceful, arching spikes of pink to magenta funnel-shaped flowers from late spring through summer above broad, sword-shaped leaves. It requires a warm, sheltered position with well-drained soil and a dry winter rest, and in UK climates should be lifted and stored frost-free over winter or grown in a cool greenhouse. The single most important care requirement is protection from hard frost, as the corms are tender and will be killed by temperatures much below -2°C. Watsonia is a member of the Iridaceae family; as with related genera such as Iris, it should be treated as mildly toxic to pets — avoid allowing cats or dogs to chew the corms or foliage.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Thrips on flowers and foliage: Thrips cause silvery streaking on leaves and distorted flowers during warm summers; treat with an insecticide containing spinosad or introduce biological controls such as Amblyseius cucumeris in a glasshouse setting.

The reasons bugle lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bugle lily 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 bugle lily 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 bugle lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give bugle lily 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 bugle lily and get the feeding right with the bugle lily 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

Bugle Lily 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 bugle lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Bugle Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bugle lily flower?

Bugle Lily 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 bugle lily bloom?

Give bugle lily 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 bugle lily normally bloom?