Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Common blue violet bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Common blue violet, Woolly blue violet, Dooryard violet, Wild violet (Viola sororia).

More about common blue violet

About Common blue violet

Viola sororia · also called Common blue violet, Woolly blue violet · flowering

A hardy native North American perennial violet producing early-spring purple-blue flowers, followed by inconspicuous cleistogamous seed pods that ensure abundant self-seeding. Extremely cold-tolerant and adaptable, it thrives under deciduous trees, along stream banks, and in wildflower meadows. Flowers and leaves are edible and high in vitamins A and C.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aggressive self-seeding: Cleistogamous seed pods (formed without opening) produce abundant seed, which can lead to colonisation of lawns and garden beds. Deadhead spring flowers promptly to reduce seed set, or embrace the plant's spreading habit in naturalistic gardens.

The reasons common blue violet isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming common blue violet 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 common blue violet 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 common blue violet to flower

Maximise sun. Give common blue violet 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 common blue violet and get the feeding right with the common blue violet 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

Common blue violet 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 common blue violet care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Common blue violet blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my common blue violet flower?

Common blue violet 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 common blue violet bloom?

Give common blue violet 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 common blue violet normally bloom?