Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Cat's-ear bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Cat's-ear, Hairy Cat's-ear, False Dandelion, Flatweed (Hypochaeris radicata).

More about cat's-ear

About Cat's-ear

Hypochaeris radicata · also called Cat's-ear, Hairy Cat's-ear · flowering

Hypochaeris radicata is a rosette-forming perennial native to grasslands, lawns, and disturbed ground across the UK and Europe, producing bright yellow dandelion-like flower heads on branched, scaly scapes from June to September. It closely resembles a dandelion but is distinguished by its branched stems and hairy, wavy-edged leaves. Extremely resilient and drought-tolerant, it thrives in poor, well-drained soils in full sun with minimal care. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to horses (causing stringhalt); its toxicity to cats and dogs is unconfirmed, so a mildly-toxic classification is applied.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew in late summer: White powdery coating can appear on leaves during dry summers; usually cosmetic on a wildflower plant, but improve air circulation if growing as an ornamental and avoid overhead watering.

The reasons cat's-ear isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming cat's-ear 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 cat's-ear 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 cat's-ear to flower

Maximise sun. Give cat's-ear 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 cat's-ear and get the feeding right with the cat's-ear 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

Cat's-ear 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 cat's-ear care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Cat's-ear blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my cat's-ear flower?

Cat's-ear 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 cat's-ear bloom?

Give cat's-ear 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 cat's-ear normally bloom?