Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Lawson Cypress bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Lawson Cypress, Port Orford Cedar, Oregon Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana).
More about lawson cypress
About Lawson Cypress
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana · also called Lawson Cypress, Port Orford Cedar · flowering
Lawson Cypress is a tall, elegant conifer native to a narrow coastal strip of Oregon and California, widely planted worldwide for its feathery, pendulous sprays of blue-green to grey foliage. Hundreds of cultivars range from dwarf globes to towering specimens. Hardy and adaptable in cool, moist climates, but highly susceptible to Phytophthora lateralis root rot.
Plant type: flowering
The reasons lawson cypress isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming lawson cypress 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 lawson cypress 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 lawson cypress to flower
- Maximise sun. Give lawson cypress 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 lawson cypress and get the feeding right with the lawson cypress 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
Lawson Cypress 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 lawson cypress care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Lawson Cypress blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my lawson cypress flower?
Lawson Cypress 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 lawson cypress bloom?
Give lawson cypress 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 lawson cypress normally bloom?
Lawson Cypress 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 lawson cypress 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 lawson cypress flowering?
Feeding lawson cypress a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Lawson Cypress care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Lawson Cypress light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Lawson Cypress 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 2566 bloom guides in the Growli library