Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Profusion beautyberry, Bodinier's beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion').
More about callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion'
About Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion'
Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' · also called Profusion beautyberry, Bodinier's beautyberry · flowering
'Profusion' is an upright, hardy beautyberry famed for unusually heavy crops of small, glossy violet-purple berries that crowd the bare autumn stems after lilac summer flowers. An RHS Award of Garden Merit shrub, it is more self-fertile than most beautyberries, so a single plant fruits well. Foliage often takes on rosy-purple autumn tints before falling.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Improper pruning lost fruit: It flowers and fruits on the current season's growth, so prune in early spring before growth starts; pruning later removes the developing flower stems.
The reasons callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' 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 callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' 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 callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' 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 callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' and get the feeding right with the callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' 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
Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' 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 callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' flower?
Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' 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 callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' bloom?
Give callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' 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 callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' normally bloom?
Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' flowering?
Feeding callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'profusion' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 1410 bloom guides in the Growli library