Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Happy Wanderer bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Happy Wanderer, False Sarsaparilla, Coral Pea, Purple Coral Pea (Hardenbergia violacea).

More about happy wanderer

About Happy Wanderer

Hardenbergia violacea · also called Happy Wanderer, False Sarsaparilla · flowering

Hardenbergia violacea is an Australian evergreen twining vine or groundcover smothered in cascades of small purple (occasionally pink or white) pea flowers from late winter into spring. Fast-growing and drought tolerant once established, it suits pergolas, fences, and banks. Low maintenance and highly ornamental for warm-temperate gardens.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Scale insects: Armoured and soft scale insects commonly colonise stems, causing yellowing foliage and sooty mould from honeydew. Treat with horticultural oil spray in late winter before flowering begins, or use a systemic insecticide. Inspect new growth regularly.

The reasons happy wanderer isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming happy wanderer 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 happy wanderer 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 happy wanderer to flower

Maximise sun. Give happy wanderer 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 happy wanderer and get the feeding right with the happy wanderer 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

Happy Wanderer 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 happy wanderer care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Happy Wanderer blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my happy wanderer flower?

Happy Wanderer 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 happy wanderer bloom?

Give happy wanderer 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 happy wanderer normally bloom?