Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Devil's-bit Scabious bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Devil's-bit Scabious, Devil's-bit, Ofbit (Succisa pratensis).

More about devil's-bit scabious

About Devil's-bit Scabious

Succisa pratensis · also called Devil's-bit Scabious, Devil's-bit · flowering

Devil's-bit scabious is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial native to damp meadows, fens, and open woodland in Europe and western Asia. It thrives in moist, moderately fertile soils in full sun or light shade, and its pincushion-like blue-purple flowerheads are an important late-summer nectar source, especially for the marsh fritillary butterfly. The key care fact is that it requires consistently moist soil throughout the growing season and dislikes drought. No significant toxicity to cats or dogs has been recorded; classified mildly-toxic as a precaution since it is absent from ASPCA listings.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons devil's-bit scabious isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming devil's-bit scabious 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 devil's-bit scabious 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 devil's-bit scabious to flower

Maximise sun. Give devil's-bit scabious 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 devil's-bit scabious and get the feeding right with the devil's-bit scabious 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

Devil's-bit Scabious 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 devil's-bit scabious care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Devil's-bit Scabious blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my devil's-bit scabious flower?

Devil's-bit Scabious 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 devil's-bit scabious bloom?

Give devil's-bit scabious 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 devil's-bit scabious normally bloom?