Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Bolivian sunset, forest gloxinia (Gloxinia sylvatica).

More about gloxinia sylvatica

About Gloxinia sylvatica

Gloxinia sylvatica · also called Bolivian sunset, forest gloxinia · flowering

Gloxinia sylvatica, the Bolivian sunset gloxinia (now often Seemannia sylvatica), is a graceful gesneriad bearing slender tubular orange-red flowers above narrow, willowy green leaves. It spreads by scaly rhizomes, blooms heavily in autumn and winter, and is among the easiest and hardiest gloxinia relatives, tolerating cooler conditions than most of its tropical kin.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor autumn flowering: Insufficient light or missed feeding curbs the bloom. Give bright filtered light and a phosphorus-rich feed as days shorten to trigger its signature display.

The reasons gloxinia sylvatica isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming gloxinia sylvatica 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 sylvatica 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 sylvatica to flower

Maximise sun. Give gloxinia sylvatica 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 sylvatica and get the feeding right with the gloxinia sylvatica 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 sylvatica 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 sylvatica care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Gloxinia sylvatica blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my gloxinia sylvatica flower?

Gloxinia sylvatica 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 sylvatica bloom?

Give gloxinia sylvatica 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 sylvatica normally bloom?