Getting it to bloom

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

Also called cypress vine, cardinal creeper, hummingbird vine (Ipomoea quamoclit).

More about ipomoea quamoclit

About Ipomoea quamoclit

Ipomoea quamoclit · also called cypress vine, cardinal creeper · flowering

Cypress vine is a delicate annual climber from tropical America with feathery, fern-like foliage and small, star-shaped scarlet (sometimes white) flowers that draw hummingbirds and butterflies all summer. Its finely divided leaves set it apart from broad-leaved morning glories. Fast and easy from seed, it twines daintily up netting or strings to make a lacy, flower-studded screen.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few flowers, lots of foliage: Too much shade or over-rich soil. Site in full sun and avoid nitrogen feeding to encourage the star-shaped blooms.

The reasons ipomoea quamoclit isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming ipomoea quamoclit 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 quamoclit 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 quamoclit to flower

Maximise sun. Give ipomoea quamoclit 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 quamoclit and get the feeding right with the ipomoea quamoclit 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 quamoclit 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 quamoclit care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Ipomoea quamoclit blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my ipomoea quamoclit flower?

Ipomoea quamoclit 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 quamoclit bloom?

Give ipomoea quamoclit 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 quamoclit normally bloom?