Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Common Broomrape bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Common Broomrape, Hellroot, Clover Broomrape, Lesser Broomrape (Orobanche minor).
More about common broomrape
About Common Broomrape
Orobanche minor · also called Common Broomrape, Hellroot · flowering
Orobanche minor is a holoparasitic annual to short-lived perennial wildflower native to the UK and temperate Europe, attaching to the roots of host plants — chiefly clovers (Trifolium spp.) and other Fabaceae and Asteraceae — from which it extracts all water and nutrients. It lacks chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize; it is entirely dependent on its host and will not grow without one. Stems range from yellow-brown to reddish-purple and bear creamy-white to lilac tubular flowers from May to August. It is the most widespread British broomrape, common in the south of England on disturbed ground, roadsides, and chalk grassland. Toxicity to cats and dogs is not established; classified as mildly-toxic out of caution.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Host plant unavailability: Cannot establish or survive without a suitable host; if trying to encourage it in a wildflower setting, ensure a dense stand of compatible clovers or bird's-foot trefoil is already established in low-fertility, calcareous soil.
The reasons common broomrape isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming common broomrape 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 broomrape 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 broomrape to flower
- Maximise sun. Give common broomrape 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 broomrape and get the feeding right with the common broomrape 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 Broomrape 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 broomrape care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Common Broomrape blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my common broomrape flower?
Common Broomrape 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 broomrape bloom?
Give common broomrape 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 broomrape normally bloom?
Common Broomrape flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with common broomrape after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping common broomrape flowering?
Feeding common broomrape a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Common Broomrape care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Common Broomrape light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Common Broomrape fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library