Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lonicera periclymenum bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called common honeysuckle, woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum).

More about lonicera periclymenum

About Lonicera periclymenum

Lonicera periclymenum · also called common honeysuckle, woodbine · flowering

Lonicera periclymenum, common honeysuckle or woodbine, is a beloved hardy native climber of European hedgerows, valued for its richly fragrant cream-and-pink summer flowers that scent the evening air. A wildlife magnet for moths and bees, it twines through shrubs and trellis. Reliable and easy, it thrives with cool roots and its flowering top in sun.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids: Infest soft shoots and buds, causing distortion and sticky honeydew; wash off or treat at first sign, encouraging natural predators.

The reasons lonicera periclymenum isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lonicera periclymenum 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 lonicera periclymenum 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 lonicera periclymenum to flower

Maximise sun. Give lonicera periclymenum 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 lonicera periclymenum and get the feeding right with the lonicera periclymenum 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

Lonicera periclymenum 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 lonicera periclymenum care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lonicera periclymenum blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lonicera periclymenum flower?

Lonicera periclymenum 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 lonicera periclymenum bloom?

Give lonicera periclymenum 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 lonicera periclymenum normally bloom?