Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lace Flower Vine bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Lace Flower, Alsobia dianthiflora (Episcia dianthiflora).

More about lace flower vine

About Lace Flower Vine

Episcia dianthiflora · also called Lace Flower, Alsobia dianthiflora · flowering

Lace Flower Vine (Episcia dianthiflora, syn. Alsobia dianthiflora) is a trailing gesneriad with small, velvety green leaves and showy, deeply fringed white flowers spotted at the throat. It spreads by stolons into a soft mat, thrives warm and humid in baskets or terrariums, and dislikes cold and wet feet. ASPCA-listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Insufficient light or feeding favours foliage and runners over the fringed white blooms. Provide brighter indirect light and a dilute feed during the growing season.

The reasons lace flower vine isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lace flower vine 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 lace flower vine 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 lace flower vine to flower

Maximise sun. Give lace flower vine 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 lace flower vine and get the feeding right with the lace flower vine 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

Lace Flower Vine 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 lace flower vine care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lace Flower Vine blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lace flower vine flower?

Lace Flower Vine 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 lace flower vine bloom?

Give lace flower vine 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 lace flower vine normally bloom?