Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Eared Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Eared Sage, Cut-Leaf African Blue Sage (Salvia aurita).

More about eared sage

About Eared Sage

Salvia aurita · also called Eared Sage, Cut-Leaf African Blue Sage · flowering

Eared sage is a fast-growing, low-spreading herbaceous perennial native to South Africa, where it grows across a range of habitats from the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It produces pale blue to lilac two-lipped flowers from spring through late summer, with stems spreading sideways up to 1.2m from a slightly upward-curving base. The most important care fact is to cut it back hard after each summer growth flush to prevent it becoming straggly. The ASPCA lists Salvia as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Straggly, untidy growth: Without regular pruning after each summer flush, plants become woody and open-centred; cut back hard after flowering to encourage compact regrowth.

The reasons eared sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming eared sage 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 eared sage 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 eared sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give eared sage 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 eared sage and get the feeding right with the eared sage 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

Eared Sage 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 eared sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Eared Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my eared sage flower?

Eared Sage 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 eared sage bloom?

Give eared sage 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 eared sage normally bloom?