Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hydrocharis morsus-ranae bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Frogbit, Common Frogbit, European Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae).

More about hydrocharis morsus-ranae

About Hydrocharis morsus-ranae

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae · also called Frogbit, Common Frogbit · flowering

Frogbit is a free-floating aquatic that looks like a miniature water lily, with small kidney-shaped leaves and three-petalled white flowers in summer. It drifts on the surface of still ponds, spreading fast by runners and overwintering as sunken buds (turions). Pretty and easy in a contained pond, but invasive in parts of North America, so check local restrictions.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons hydrocharis morsus-ranae isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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 hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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 hydrocharis morsus-ranae to flower

Maximise sun. Give hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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 hydrocharis morsus-ranae and get the feeding right with the hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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 hydrocharis morsus-ranae care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hydrocharis morsus-ranae flower?

Hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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 hydrocharis morsus-ranae bloom?

Give hydrocharis morsus-ranae 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 hydrocharis morsus-ranae normally bloom?