Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Forest Pansy Redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy').

More about cercis canadensis 'forest pansy'

About Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' · also called Forest Pansy Redbud · flowering

'Forest Pansy' is an eastern redbud cultivar prized for ruby-purple new foliage that ages to bronze-green and rosy-pink spring flowers borne on bare branches. A small deciduous tree, it suits a sheltered, sunny spot in moist, well-drained soil. Best leaf colour comes with morning sun and afternoon shade in hot climates.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Verticillium wilt: Soil-borne fungus causing sudden branch dieback and wilting. No cure; prune out affected limbs, avoid replanting redbud in infected ground.

The reasons cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' 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 cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' 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 cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' to flower

Maximise sun. Give cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' 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 cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' and get the feeding right with the cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' 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

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' 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 cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' flower?

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' 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 cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' bloom?

Give cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' 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 cercis canadensis 'forest pansy' normally bloom?