Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Fragrant Solomon's Seal bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Fragrant Solomon's Seal, Angular Solomon's Seal, Scented Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum).

More about fragrant solomon's seal

About Fragrant Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum odoratum · also called Fragrant Solomon's Seal, Angular Solomon's Seal · flowering

A refined shade-garden perennial with distinctively angled stems bearing oval leaves and one to two sweetly fragrant, white, green-tipped bell flowers per leaf axil in late spring. Slower to spread than P. multiflorum. Excellent fragrance distinguishes it from related species. Blue-black berries ripen in autumn. Hardy to USDA zone 3.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons fragrant solomon's seal isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming fragrant solomon's seal 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 fragrant solomon's seal 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 fragrant solomon's seal to flower

Maximise sun. Give fragrant solomon's seal 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 fragrant solomon's seal and get the feeding right with the fragrant solomon's seal 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

Fragrant Solomon's Seal 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 fragrant solomon's seal care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Fragrant Solomon's Seal blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my fragrant solomon's seal flower?

Fragrant Solomon's Seal 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 fragrant solomon's seal bloom?

Give fragrant solomon's seal 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 fragrant solomon's seal normally bloom?