Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Gloxinia perennis bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Canterbury bells gloxinia, perennial gloxinia (Gloxinia perennis).

More about gloxinia perennis

About Gloxinia perennis

Gloxinia perennis · also called Canterbury bells gloxinia, perennial gloxinia · flowering

Gloxinia perennis is the true gloxinia, an upright rhizomatous gesneriad bearing nodding, bell-shaped lavender-blue flowers with a mint-scented presence over glossy, scalloped leaves. Native to Central and South America, it grows from a scaly rhizome, goes semi-dormant, and rewards warm, humid, brightly lit culture with tall flowering stems in summer and autumn.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Floppy, non-flowering stems: Too little light makes growth stretch and skip blooms. Move to a brighter, filtered position and feed with a bloom-supporting fertiliser in season.

The reasons gloxinia perennis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming gloxinia perennis 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 gloxinia perennis 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 gloxinia perennis to flower

Maximise sun. Give gloxinia perennis 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 gloxinia perennis and get the feeding right with the gloxinia perennis 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

Gloxinia perennis 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 gloxinia perennis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Gloxinia perennis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my gloxinia perennis flower?

Gloxinia perennis 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 gloxinia perennis bloom?

Give gloxinia perennis 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 gloxinia perennis normally bloom?