Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Goldfish Plant bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Goldfish plant, Clog plant, Candy corn plant, Guppy plant (Nematanthus gregarius).

More about goldfish plant

About Goldfish Plant

Nematanthus gregarius · also called Goldfish plant, Clog plant · flowering

The goldfish plant is a trailing Brazilian gesneriad grown for the glossy, fleshy leaves and pouched orange flowers that look like tiny leaping goldfish. Its one defining need is bright but filtered light: too little and it sulks without blooming, while harsh direct sun scorches the waxy foliage. Treat it as a warm, humidity-loving houseplant.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: The most common complaint, almost always caused by too little light, warmth or humidity. Move it to a brighter spot with filtered light, keep it warm and feed with a high-potash feed in the growing season to coax out the goldfish blooms.

The reasons goldfish plant isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming goldfish plant 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 goldfish plant 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 goldfish plant to flower

Maximise sun. Give goldfish plant 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 goldfish plant and get the feeding right with the goldfish plant 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

Goldfish Plant 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 goldfish plant care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Goldfish Plant blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my goldfish plant flower?

Goldfish Plant 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 goldfish plant bloom?

Give goldfish plant 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 goldfish plant normally bloom?