Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Cascade Purple Aubrieta bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Cascade Purple Aubrieta, Purple Rock Cress (Aubrieta 'Cascade Purple').

More about cascade purple aubrieta

About Cascade Purple Aubrieta

Aubrieta 'Cascade Purple' · also called Cascade Purple Aubrieta, Purple Rock Cress · flowering

A vigorous, mat-forming perennial that smothers itself in rich purple flowers each spring. Ideal for walls, rockeries, and slopes, it cascades attractively over edges and thrives in alkaline, sharply drained soil in full sun. Trim back hard after flowering to keep it compact and encourage a possible second flush.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: Can appear in humid, stagnant conditions. Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Cut back mats after flowering to reduce disease pressure and encourage fresh growth.

The reasons cascade purple aubrieta isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming cascade purple aubrieta 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 cascade purple aubrieta 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 cascade purple aubrieta to flower

Maximise sun. Give cascade purple aubrieta 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 cascade purple aubrieta and get the feeding right with the cascade purple aubrieta 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

Cascade Purple Aubrieta 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 cascade purple aubrieta care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Cascade Purple Aubrieta blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my cascade purple aubrieta flower?

Cascade Purple Aubrieta 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 cascade purple aubrieta bloom?

Give cascade purple aubrieta 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 cascade purple aubrieta normally bloom?