Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hairy Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Hairy Sage (Salvia pubescens).

More about hairy sage

About Hairy Sage

Salvia pubescens · also called Hairy Sage · flowering

Salvia pubescens is a shrubby sage native to the seasonally dry tropical forests of central and southwestern Mexico, where it grows in warm, well-drained sites. The species name 'pubescens' refers to the soft, short hairs covering the stems and leaves. It produces whorled flower spikes attractive to hummingbirds and is grown as a garden ornamental in warm, frost-free or nearly frost-free climates; in cooler regions it can be treated as a half-hardy annual or grown in containers overwintered under glass. The ASPCA does not individually list this species; a precautionary mildly-toxic classification is applied.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons hairy sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hairy sage 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 hairy sage 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 hairy sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give hairy sage 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 hairy sage and get the feeding right with the hairy sage 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

Hairy Sage 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 hairy sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hairy Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hairy sage flower?

Hairy Sage 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 hairy sage bloom?

Give hairy sage 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 hairy sage normally bloom?