Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hiba Arborvitae bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Hiba Arborvitae, Deerhorn Cedar, False Arborvitae, Hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata).

More about hiba arborvitae

About Hiba Arborvitae

Thujopsis dolabrata · also called Hiba Arborvitae, Deerhorn Cedar · flowering

Hiba Arborvitae is a striking Japanese conifer producing large, flattened foliage sprays of bold, glossy deep-green scales with distinctive bright silvery-white markings underneath. Native to cool, moist montane forests of Japan, it demands consistently moist, well-drained soil and dislikes drought or dry air. Handsome as a specimen or informal screen and fully hardy in temperate gardens.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons hiba arborvitae isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hiba arborvitae 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 hiba arborvitae 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 hiba arborvitae to flower

Maximise sun. Give hiba arborvitae 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 hiba arborvitae and get the feeding right with the hiba arborvitae 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

Hiba Arborvitae 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 hiba arborvitae care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hiba Arborvitae blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hiba arborvitae flower?

Hiba Arborvitae 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 hiba arborvitae bloom?

Give hiba arborvitae 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 hiba arborvitae normally bloom?