Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Corkystem Passionflower, Indigo Berry Passionvine, Corky Passion Vine (Passiflora suberosa).

More about corky-stemmed passion flower

About Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower

Passiflora suberosa · also called Corkystem Passionflower, Indigo Berry Passionvine · flowering

Passiflora suberosa is a vigorous tendril-climbing vine from the Americas prized for its distinctive corky-barked stems and small greenish-cream flowers. It tolerates light shade better than most passifloras. Keep soil consistently moist during the growing season. Mildly toxic to pets — the genus contains cyanogenic glycosides.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons corky-stemmed passion flower isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming corky-stemmed passion flower 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 corky-stemmed passion flower 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 corky-stemmed passion flower to flower

Maximise sun. Give corky-stemmed passion flower 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 corky-stemmed passion flower and get the feeding right with the corky-stemmed passion flower 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

Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower 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 corky-stemmed passion flower care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my corky-stemmed passion flower flower?

Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower 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 corky-stemmed passion flower bloom?

Give corky-stemmed passion flower 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 corky-stemmed passion flower normally bloom?