Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Ipomoea lobata bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Spanish flag, firecracker vine, exotic love vine (Ipomoea lobata).

More about ipomoea lobata

About Ipomoea lobata

Ipomoea lobata · also called Spanish flag, firecracker vine · flowering

Spanish flag is a striking annual climber from Mexico bearing one-sided spikes of tubular flowers that open scarlet and age through orange and yellow to cream, giving a multicoloured 'flag' effect. Vigorous and fast from seed, it twines up supports with three-lobed leaves and flowers from midsummer to frost, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Slow start in cool springs: It is heat-loving and resents cold; growth and flowering stall in cool weather. Start seed indoors and plant out only after soil warms.

The reasons ipomoea lobata isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming ipomoea lobata 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 ipomoea lobata 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 ipomoea lobata to flower

Maximise sun. Give ipomoea lobata 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 ipomoea lobata and get the feeding right with the ipomoea lobata 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

Ipomoea lobata 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 ipomoea lobata care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Ipomoea lobata blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my ipomoea lobata flower?

Ipomoea lobata 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 ipomoea lobata bloom?

Give ipomoea lobata 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 ipomoea lobata normally bloom?