Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Paul's Scarlet Hawthorn, Double Red Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet').
More about crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet'
About Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet'
Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' · also called Paul's Scarlet Hawthorn, Double Red Hawthorn · flowering
'Paul's Scarlet' is a small, exceptionally hardy hawthorn smothered in double, deep rose-pink to scarlet flowers in late spring. Tough, thorny and wind-firm, it tolerates pollution, exposure and poor soils, making a reliable specimen or street tree. The double blooms set little fruit, so it is a flowering rather than berrying form.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Fireblight: Susceptible to fireblight (Erwinia amylovora), which blackens shoots and flower trusses as if scorched. Prune out infected wood well into healthy tissue and disinfect tools between cuts.
The reasons crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' and get the feeding right with the crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' 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
Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' flower?
Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' bloom?
Give crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' normally bloom?
Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' 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 crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' flowering?
Feeding crataegus laevigata 'paul's scarlet' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' 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 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library