Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Canadian Yew bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Canadian Yew, American Yew, Ground Hemlock (Taxus canadensis).

More about canadian yew

About Canadian Yew

Taxus canadensis · also called Canadian Yew, American Yew · flowering

Canadian Yew is a low, spreading, shade-tolerant evergreen shrub native to the understorey of forests across eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. One of the hardiest yews, it naturally forms thickets in deep shade and moist woodland soil. Its bright red arils ripen in late summer and are attractive to birds, but all other parts are severely toxic to people and animals.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons canadian yew isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming canadian yew 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 canadian yew 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 canadian yew to flower

Maximise sun. Give canadian yew 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 canadian yew and get the feeding right with the canadian yew 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

Canadian Yew 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 canadian yew care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Canadian Yew blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my canadian yew flower?

Canadian Yew 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 canadian yew bloom?

Give canadian yew 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 canadian yew normally bloom?