Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Choisya ternata bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Mexican orange blossom, Mexican orange (Choisya ternata).

More about choisya ternata

About Choisya ternata

Choisya ternata · also called Mexican orange blossom, Mexican orange · flowering

Mexican orange blossom is an evergreen, rounded shrub prized for glossy three-lobed foliage and clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers in spring, often reblooming in autumn. The aromatic leaves release a citrus scent when crushed. Easy and reliable in mild gardens, it thrives in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil with little fuss.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Sparse flowering: Too much shade or over-pruning reduces bloom. Give full sun and prune only lightly just after the main spring flush.

The reasons choisya ternata isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming choisya ternata 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 choisya ternata 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 choisya ternata to flower

Maximise sun. Give choisya ternata 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 choisya ternata and get the feeding right with the choisya ternata 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

Choisya ternata 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 choisya ternata care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Choisya ternata blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my choisya ternata flower?

Choisya ternata 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 choisya ternata bloom?

Give choisya ternata 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 choisya ternata normally bloom?