Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Byzantine Meadow Saffron bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Byzantine Colchicum, Autumn Meadow Saffron (Colchicum byzantinum).

More about byzantine meadow saffron

About Byzantine Meadow Saffron

Colchicum byzantinum · also called Byzantine Colchicum, Autumn Meadow Saffron · flowering

Byzantine Meadow Saffron is one of the most free-flowering Colchicum species, producing up to 20 rose-lilac goblet-shaped flowers per corm in early to mid-autumn, before the large pleated spring leaves emerge. It is exceptionally vigorous and naturalises readily. All parts contain colchicine and are extremely toxic to pets and people.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Autumn slugs and snails: A serious threat to the prolific flowers; apply organic slug pellets as soon as the first buds push through the soil.

The reasons byzantine meadow saffron isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming byzantine meadow saffron 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 byzantine meadow saffron 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 byzantine meadow saffron to flower

Maximise sun. Give byzantine meadow saffron 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 byzantine meadow saffron and get the feeding right with the byzantine meadow saffron 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

Byzantine Meadow Saffron 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 byzantine meadow saffron care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Byzantine Meadow Saffron blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my byzantine meadow saffron flower?

Byzantine Meadow Saffron 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 byzantine meadow saffron bloom?

Give byzantine meadow saffron 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 byzantine meadow saffron normally bloom?