Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Long-Leaved Phlomis bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Long-leaved phlomis, Long-leaved Jerusalem sage (Phlomis longifolia).

More about long-leaved phlomis

About Long-Leaved Phlomis

Phlomis longifolia · also called Long-leaved phlomis, Long-leaved Jerusalem sage · flowering

Phlomis longifolia is an upright, grey-woolly shrub native to Turkey, Lebanon, and the eastern Mediterranean, recognisable by its unusually elongated, softly felted leaves and tall stems bearing whorls of bright yellow flowers in early summer. It is well suited to dry, sunny borders and gravel gardens where its bold, textural foliage provides year-round interest. Like all Mediterranean phlomis, it is intolerant of waterlogged soil and must have free drainage to thrive in wetter climates. Phlomis longifolia is not listed in the ASPCA database and is classified as mildly-toxic due to the absence of confirmed pet-safety information.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons long-leaved phlomis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming long-leaved phlomis 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 long-leaved phlomis 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 long-leaved phlomis to flower

Maximise sun. Give long-leaved phlomis 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 long-leaved phlomis and get the feeding right with the long-leaved phlomis 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

Long-Leaved Phlomis 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 long-leaved phlomis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Long-Leaved Phlomis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my long-leaved phlomis flower?

Long-Leaved Phlomis 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 long-leaved phlomis bloom?

Give long-leaved phlomis 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 long-leaved phlomis normally bloom?