Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Everlasting Sweet Pea bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Perennial sweet pea, Everlasting pea (Lathyrus latifolius).

More about everlasting sweet pea

About Everlasting Sweet Pea

Lathyrus latifolius · also called Perennial sweet pea, Everlasting pea · flowering

The everlasting pea is a tough herbaceous perennial climber that returns yearly from a deep rootstock, throwing out winged stems hung with clusters of pink, rose or white pea flowers all summer. Unlike the annual sweet pea it is scentless but trouble-free, naturalising readily and tolerating poor soil and drought once established.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids: Cluster on soft new shoots and flower stalks. Dislodge with water or treat early before colonies build.

The reasons everlasting sweet pea isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming everlasting sweet pea 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 everlasting sweet pea 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 everlasting sweet pea to flower

Maximise sun. Give everlasting sweet pea 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 everlasting sweet pea and get the feeding right with the everlasting sweet pea 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

Everlasting Sweet Pea 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 everlasting sweet pea care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Everlasting Sweet Pea blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my everlasting sweet pea flower?

Everlasting Sweet Pea 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 everlasting sweet pea bloom?

Give everlasting sweet pea 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 everlasting sweet pea normally bloom?