Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Desdemona Ligularia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Desdemona ligularia, orange-flowered goldenray (Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona').

More about desdemona ligularia

About Desdemona Ligularia

Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona' · also called Desdemona ligularia, orange-flowered goldenray · flowering

'Desdemona' is a striking bog-garden perennial with large, rounded leaves that emerge mahogany-purple, mature to dark green on top while keeping rich beetroot-purple undersides, and are crowned in late summer by branching heads of orange-yellow daisy flowers. A bold moisture-lover for damp shade and waterside planting, it brings architectural foliage and hot late-season colour.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to thrive on dry sites: On dry or free-draining soil it browns, sulks and flowers poorly. It must have reliably damp to boggy conditions — choose the planting site accordingly.

The reasons desdemona ligularia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming desdemona ligularia 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 desdemona ligularia 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 desdemona ligularia to flower

Maximise sun. Give desdemona ligularia 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 desdemona ligularia and get the feeding right with the desdemona ligularia 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

Desdemona Ligularia 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 desdemona ligularia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Desdemona Ligularia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my desdemona ligularia flower?

Desdemona Ligularia 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 desdemona ligularia bloom?

Give desdemona ligularia 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 desdemona ligularia normally bloom?