Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Large-flowered Bacopa bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Large-flowered Bacopa, Purple Glory Plant, Bacopa (Sutera grandiflora).
More about large-flowered bacopa
About Large-flowered Bacopa
Sutera grandiflora · also called Large-flowered Bacopa, Purple Glory Plant · flowering
Sutera grandiflora, known as the purple glory plant or large-flowered bacopa, is a tender evergreen perennial from South Africa, producing a profusion of five-petalled, lilac to purple flowers considerably larger than those of the familiar trailing bacopa (Chaenostoma cordatum). It thrives in full sun with reliably moist, free-draining soil and is frost-tender, grown as a container plant or annual in most of the UK. The single most important care point is consistent watering: plants drop buds quickly when stressed by drought, and unlike many plants they do not wilt as a visible warning signal. It is not listed in the ASPCA database, so a precautionary mildly-toxic classification applies.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Bud drop from drought stress: Even brief periods without water cause buds and flowers to abort; plants show no wilting as an early warning sign, so check soil moisture daily and never allow compost to dry out completely.
The reasons large-flowered bacopa isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming large-flowered bacopa 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 large-flowered bacopa 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 large-flowered bacopa to flower
- Maximise sun. Give large-flowered bacopa 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 large-flowered bacopa and get the feeding right with the large-flowered bacopa 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
Large-flowered Bacopa 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 large-flowered bacopa care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Large-flowered Bacopa blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my large-flowered bacopa flower?
Large-flowered Bacopa 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 large-flowered bacopa bloom?
Give large-flowered bacopa 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 large-flowered bacopa normally bloom?
Large-flowered Bacopa flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with large-flowered bacopa after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping large-flowered bacopa flowering?
Feeding large-flowered bacopa a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Large-flowered Bacopa care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Large-flowered Bacopa light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Large-flowered Bacopa fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library