Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Blue Butterfly delphinium, Chinese delphinium (Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly').
More about delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly'
About Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly'
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' · also called Blue Butterfly delphinium, Chinese delphinium · flowering
'Blue Butterfly' is a dwarf Chinese delphinium grown for masses of brilliant gentian-blue flowers on airy, branching stems in summer. Far shorter than border delphiniums at 30-40 cm, it suits fronts of beds, pots and gravel gardens, needs no staking, and flowers fast from seed. Like all delphiniums, it is toxic to cats and dogs.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Short-lived plants: Often performs as a biennial or short-lived perennial. Deadhead to prolong bloom and resow regularly, or allow some self-seeding to maintain a stand.
The reasons delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' and get the feeding right with the delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' 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
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' flower?
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' bloom?
Give delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' normally bloom?
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' 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 delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' flowering?
Feeding delphinium grandiflorum 'blue butterfly' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly' 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 639 bloom guides in the Growli library