Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Creeping Little Bluestem bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Creeping Little Bluestem, Creeping Bluestem (Schizachyrium stoloniferum).

More about creeping little bluestem

About Creeping Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium stoloniferum · also called Creeping Little Bluestem, Creeping Bluestem · flowering

Creeping Little Bluestem is a stoloniferous prairie grass native to the south-central US Great Plains, forming loose, spreading mats rather than the tight clumps of its close relative S. scoparium. It produces blue-green foliage, characteristic bluestem seed plumes, and warm red-bronze autumn colour. Valuable for erosion control and stabilising sandy, dry slopes.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons creeping little bluestem isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming creeping little bluestem 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 creeping little bluestem 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 creeping little bluestem to flower

Maximise sun. Give creeping little bluestem 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 creeping little bluestem and get the feeding right with the creeping little bluestem 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

Creeping Little Bluestem 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 creeping little bluestem care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Creeping Little Bluestem blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my creeping little bluestem flower?

Creeping Little Bluestem 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 creeping little bluestem bloom?

Give creeping little bluestem 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 creeping little bluestem normally bloom?