Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Climbing Sundew bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Climbing sundew, Bridal rainbow sundew, Large-flowered sundew (Drosera macrantha).

More about climbing sundew

About Climbing Sundew

Drosera macrantha · also called Climbing sundew, Bridal rainbow sundew · flowering

Drosera macrantha is a scrambling to climbing tuberous perennial carnivorous plant endemic to south-western Western Australia, where it grows in winter-wet depressions in sandy, loamy, laterite, or quartzite soils. Its long stems — reaching up to 1.5 m — twine through surrounding vegetation using sticky glandular leaves as makeshift hooks. Like all tuberous sundews it follows a winter-active, summer-dormant lifecycle, and the single most important care rule is completely ceasing irrigation once dormancy begins in late spring. Drosera is not definitively listed by the ASPCA; treat as mildly-toxic for pets.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons climbing sundew isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming climbing sundew 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 climbing sundew 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 climbing sundew to flower

Maximise sun. Give climbing sundew 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 climbing sundew and get the feeding right with the climbing sundew 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

Climbing Sundew 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 climbing sundew care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Climbing Sundew blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my climbing sundew flower?

Climbing Sundew 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 climbing sundew bloom?

Give climbing sundew 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 climbing sundew normally bloom?