Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Codonanthe crassifolia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called thick-leaved codonanthe, ant plant gesneriad (Codonanthe crassifolia).

More about codonanthe crassifolia

About Codonanthe crassifolia

Codonanthe crassifolia · also called thick-leaved codonanthe, ant plant gesneriad · flowering

Codonanthe crassifolia is a trailing epiphytic gesneriad from Central and South American forests, with thick, succulent oval leaves and small white tubular flowers followed by ornamental berries. In the wild it associates with ant nests. Grown indoors as a hanging-basket plant, it wants bright indirect light, high humidity, an airy epiphytic mix and warm, frost-free conditions.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few flowers or berries: Insufficient light or humidity reduces blooming. Provide bright indirect light, steady warmth and a humid spot to encourage the white flowers and following berries.

The reasons codonanthe crassifolia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming codonanthe crassifolia 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 codonanthe crassifolia 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 codonanthe crassifolia to flower

Maximise sun. Give codonanthe crassifolia 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 codonanthe crassifolia and get the feeding right with the codonanthe crassifolia 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

Codonanthe crassifolia 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 codonanthe crassifolia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Codonanthe crassifolia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my codonanthe crassifolia flower?

Codonanthe crassifolia 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 codonanthe crassifolia bloom?

Give codonanthe crassifolia 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 codonanthe crassifolia normally bloom?