Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Canada Mayflower, Wild Lily of the Valley, False Lily of the Valley, Two-leaved Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum canadense).

More about canada mayflower

About Canada Mayflower

Maianthemum canadense · also called Canada Mayflower, Wild Lily of the Valley · flowering

Canada Mayflower is a low-growing North American woodland groundcover producing small, glossy heart-shaped leaves and tiny fragrant white flowers in late spring, followed by speckled red berries. It spreads steadily via slender rhizomes to form a lush carpet in acidic, shaded woodland gardens, thriving in cool, moist conditions.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Slow establishment: Canada Mayflower is slow to establish from divisions or transplants, especially if soil conditions are not sufficiently acidic and moist. Patience is required; ensure the correct soil pH and avoid disturbing new plantings in the first two seasons.

The reasons canada mayflower isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming canada mayflower 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 canada mayflower 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 canada mayflower to flower

Maximise sun. Give canada mayflower 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 canada mayflower and get the feeding right with the canada mayflower 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

Canada Mayflower 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 canada mayflower care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Canada Mayflower blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my canada mayflower flower?

Canada Mayflower 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 canada mayflower bloom?

Give canada mayflower 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 canada mayflower normally bloom?