Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Green Arrow Arum bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called arrow arum, tuckahoe, Virginia tuckahoe, bog onion (Peltandra virginica).

More about green arrow arum

About Green Arrow Arum

Peltandra virginica · also called arrow arum, tuckahoe · flowering

Green Arrow Arum is a native North American aquatic perennial with bold, glossy arrow-shaped leaves up to 30 cm long. It thrives at pond margins or in shallow water to 20 cm deep, forms dense non-aggressive clumps, and bears greenish-white spathes in late spring. All parts contain calcium oxalate and are toxic if eaten raw.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphid colonies on flower spathes: Greenfly can cluster on emerging spathes in spring. Blast off with a strong jet of water — avoid chemical sprays near pond water where fish or amphibians are present.

The reasons green arrow arum isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming green arrow arum 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 green arrow arum 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 green arrow arum to flower

Maximise sun. Give green arrow arum 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 green arrow arum and get the feeding right with the green arrow arum 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

Green Arrow Arum 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 green arrow arum care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Green Arrow Arum blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my green arrow arum flower?

Green Arrow Arum 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 green arrow arum bloom?

Give green arrow arum 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 green arrow arum normally bloom?