Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Japanese Cornel Dogwood bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Japanese Cornel Dogwood, Japanese Cornelian Cherry, Japanese Cornel, Sanshuzhu (Cornus officinalis).

More about japanese cornel dogwood

About Japanese Cornel Dogwood

Cornus officinalis · also called Japanese Cornel Dogwood, Japanese Cornelian Cherry · flowering

Japanese cornelian cherry is a large deciduous shrub or small tree from Japan and Korea that flowers remarkably early — clusters of tiny yellow flowers appear on bare branches in late winter, sometimes as early as February. It is among the earliest flowering woody plants of the year. Edible red fruit follows in autumn along with good foliage color and attractive exfoliating bark on mature stems.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Late-frost flower damage: The very early flowers opening on bare branches in late winter are at high risk from hard late frosts, which brown and kill the tiny blooms; siting against a south- or west-facing wall provides shelter, or plant in a frost-free microclimate.

The reasons japanese cornel dogwood isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming japanese cornel dogwood 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 japanese cornel dogwood 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 japanese cornel dogwood to flower

Maximise sun. Give japanese cornel dogwood 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 japanese cornel dogwood and get the feeding right with the japanese cornel dogwood 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

Japanese Cornel Dogwood 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 japanese cornel dogwood care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Japanese Cornel Dogwood blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my japanese cornel dogwood flower?

Japanese Cornel Dogwood 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 japanese cornel dogwood bloom?

Give japanese cornel dogwood 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 japanese cornel dogwood normally bloom?