Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Glory of the Sun bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Glory of the Sun, Chilean Garlic (Leucocoryne ixioides).

More about glory of the sun

About Glory of the Sun

Leucocoryne ixioides · also called Glory of the Sun, Chilean Garlic · flowering

Leucocoryne ixioides is a delicate, bulbous perennial from the coastal ranges of central Chile, producing fragrant, star-shaped flowers in shades of lavender, blue, or white with a white centre on slender stems in spring. It belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae (formerly Alliaceae) and carries a faint garlic scent in the leaves when crushed. In the UK it is best grown in a cool greenhouse or lifted annually as it needs full sun, sharp drainage, and a bone-dry summer. Toxicity to pets is unconfirmed; treat with caution.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Pale, washed-out flowers in low light: Flower colour (particularly the lavender-blue shades) fades significantly in insufficient light. Ensure the plant receives maximum winter and spring sun. In a cool greenhouse, position bulbs in pots at the highest, sunniest point of the structure.

The reasons glory of the sun isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming glory of the sun 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 glory of the sun 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 glory of the sun to flower

Maximise sun. Give glory of the sun 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 glory of the sun and get the feeding right with the glory of the sun 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

Glory of the Sun 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 glory of the sun care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Glory of the Sun blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my glory of the sun flower?

Glory of the Sun 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 glory of the sun bloom?

Give glory of the sun 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 glory of the sun normally bloom?