Getting it to bloom
Why won't my French Tamarisk bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called French Tamarisk, Common Tamarisk, Manna Plant (Tamarix gallica).
More about french tamarisk
About French Tamarisk
Tamarix gallica · also called French Tamarisk, Common Tamarisk · flowering
Tamarix gallica is a graceful deciduous shrub or small tree native to the western Mediterranean and south-western Europe, long naturalised on the coasts of southern England where it thrives in maritime conditions. It produces masses of tiny pink flowers on feathery, arching branches from late spring through summer, making it one of the most effective flowering wind-breaks for exposed coastal gardens. The single most important care fact is that it must be pruned regularly to prevent becoming leggy — cut back hard after flowering. Tamarix gallica is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Leggy, untidy growth without pruning: Without annual pruning, French tamarisk quickly becomes an open, ungainly plant; prune back by around two-thirds immediately after flowering, cutting to strong laterals to maintain density.
The reasons french tamarisk isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming french tamarisk 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 french tamarisk 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 french tamarisk to flower
- Maximise sun. Give french tamarisk 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 french tamarisk and get the feeding right with the french tamarisk 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
French Tamarisk 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 french tamarisk care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
French Tamarisk blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my french tamarisk flower?
French Tamarisk 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 french tamarisk bloom?
Give french tamarisk 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 french tamarisk normally bloom?
French Tamarisk 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 french tamarisk 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 french tamarisk flowering?
Feeding french tamarisk a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- French Tamarisk care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- French Tamarisk light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- French Tamarisk 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 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library