Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Crimson Flag Lily bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Crimson flag lily, Crimson river lily, Kaffir lily (Hesperantha coccinea).

More about crimson flag lily

About Crimson Flag Lily

Hesperantha coccinea · also called Crimson flag lily, Crimson river lily · flowering

Hesperantha coccinea (formerly Schizostylis coccinea) is a rhizomatous perennial native to the moist grasslands and stream margins of southern Africa, from Zimbabwe to South Africa's Eastern Cape. It produces elegant spikes of star-shaped, scarlet-to-pink flowers from late summer right through to the first hard frosts of autumn, filling a gap in the late-season garden when few other bulbous plants are in bloom. The most important care fact is to keep the soil consistently moist during the growing season — it is one of the few bulbous perennials that actively dislikes drought. The plant is toxic to cats and dogs according to the Pet Poison Helpline.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons crimson flag lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming crimson flag lily 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 crimson flag lily 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 crimson flag lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give crimson flag lily 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 crimson flag lily and get the feeding right with the crimson flag lily 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

Crimson Flag Lily 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 crimson flag lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Crimson Flag Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my crimson flag lily flower?

Crimson Flag Lily 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 crimson flag lily bloom?

Give crimson flag lily 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 crimson flag lily normally bloom?