Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Chiapas Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Chiapas sage, Mexican sage (Salvia chiapensis).

More about chiapas sage

About Chiapas Sage

Salvia chiapensis · also called Chiapas sage, Mexican sage · flowering

Salvia chiapensis is a compact, semi-woody perennial native to shaded mountain forests in Chiapas, Mexico, where it grows as an understorey plant, making it one of the few salvias that flowers well in partial shade. It produces vivid cerise-pink to magenta tubular flowers on arching stems over glossy, dark green foliage from late summer into autumn, and hummingbirds are strongly attracted to it. In the UK it is tender and must be overwintered under glass or given heavy mulch in mild coastal gardens. Salvia species are not listed as toxic to cats or dogs by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons chiapas sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming chiapas sage 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 chiapas sage 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 chiapas sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give chiapas sage 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 chiapas sage and get the feeding right with the chiapas sage 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

Chiapas Sage 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 chiapas sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Chiapas Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my chiapas sage flower?

Chiapas Sage 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 chiapas sage bloom?

Give chiapas sage 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 chiapas sage normally bloom?