Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Tasselled Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla').
More about dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla'
About Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla'
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' · also called Tasselled Male Fern · flowering
An elegant cultivar of the native male fern with finely cut, narrow, lace-like fronds that end in crested, tasselled tips. Semi-evergreen and hardy across the UK, it forms an airy, arching shuttlecock of delicate foliage. It thrives in moist, humus-rich shade, making it a graceful choice for woodland borders and shady garden corners.
Plant type: flowering
The reasons dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' and get the feeding right with the dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' 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
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' flower?
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' bloom?
Give dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' normally bloom?
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' 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 dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' flowering?
Feeding dryopteris filix-mas 'linearis polydactyla' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' 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 2023 bloom guides in the Growli library