Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Diane's Gold Brunnera bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Diane's Gold Siberian bugloss, golden-leaved brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla 'Diane's Gold').

More about diane's gold brunnera

About Diane's Gold Brunnera

Brunnera macrophylla 'Diane's Gold' · also called Diane's Gold Siberian bugloss, golden-leaved brunnera · flowering

Diane's Gold is a Siberian bugloss with large, heart-shaped leaves in soft chartreuse to golden-green that glow in shaded borders, set off in spring by sprays of blue forget-me-not flowers. This clump-forming woodland perennial needs shade and cool, evenly moist soil, as its pale gold foliage scorches readily in direct sun or drought.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons diane's gold brunnera isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming diane's gold brunnera 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 diane's gold brunnera 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 diane's gold brunnera to flower

Maximise sun. Give diane's gold brunnera 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 diane's gold brunnera and get the feeding right with the diane's gold brunnera 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

Diane's Gold Brunnera 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 diane's gold brunnera care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Diane's Gold Brunnera blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my diane's gold brunnera flower?

Diane's Gold Brunnera 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 diane's gold brunnera bloom?

Give diane's gold brunnera 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 diane's gold brunnera normally bloom?