Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Canary Island Sea Lavender bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Canary Island sea lavender (Limonium pectinatum).

More about canary island sea lavender

About Canary Island Sea Lavender

Limonium pectinatum · also called Canary Island sea lavender · flowering

Limonium pectinatum is a tender, shrubby perennial endemic to the coastal cliffs and rocky shores of the Canary Islands, where it is adapted to near-year-round warmth, salt winds, and fast-draining volcanic soils. It forms a spreading, low woody mound with stiff, comb-like leaves (the species name refers to the pectinate, comb-toothed leaf margins) and bears clusters of small flowers in summer. In the UK and most of the US it must be grown in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory and treated as a tender perennial or container specimen. Limonium is non-toxic to cats and dogs according to the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons canary island sea lavender isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming canary island sea lavender 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 canary island sea lavender 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 canary island sea lavender to flower

Maximise sun. Give canary island sea lavender 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 canary island sea lavender and get the feeding right with the canary island sea lavender 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

Canary Island Sea Lavender 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 canary island sea lavender care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Canary Island Sea Lavender blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my canary island sea lavender flower?

Canary Island Sea Lavender 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 canary island sea lavender bloom?

Give canary island sea lavender 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 canary island sea lavender normally bloom?