Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Aztec Pearl Mexican orange, Aztec Pearl choisya (Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl').

More about choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl'

About Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl'

Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' · also called Aztec Pearl Mexican orange, Aztec Pearl choisya · flowering

'Aztec Pearl' is an elegant Mexican orange hybrid with finely divided, narrow dark-green leaflets giving an airy, refined texture. Pink-flushed buds open to clusters of fragrant white flowers in late spring, often reblooming in summer and autumn. More refined and slightly hardier in habit than the species, it suits both borders and informal hedging in full sun.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Reduced flowering in shade: Too little sun cuts the bloom display sharply. Site in full sun and prune only lightly after the main flush.

The reasons choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' to flower

Maximise sun. Give choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' and get the feeding right with the choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' flower?

Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' bloom?

Give choisya x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' 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 x dewitteana 'aztec pearl' normally bloom?