Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called late Dutch honeysuckle, late flowering woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina').
More about lonicera periclymenum 'serotina'
About Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina'
Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' · also called late Dutch honeysuckle, late flowering woodbine · flowering
Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina', the late Dutch honeysuckle, is a popular garden cultivar of common honeysuckle prized for richly fragrant flowers, deep red-purple in bud opening to creamy interiors, carried later and longer than the species. A hardy, easy deciduous twiner, it scents summer evenings, draws pollinators and clothes trellis, arches and walls with bloom.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Aphids: Cluster on tender shoots and buds, causing distortion and honeydew; wash off or treat promptly and encourage predators.
The reasons lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' 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 'serotina' 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 'serotina' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' 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 'serotina' and get the feeding right with the lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' 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 'Serotina' 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 'serotina' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' flower?
Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' 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 'serotina' bloom?
Give lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' 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 'serotina' normally bloom?
Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' 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 lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' 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 lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' flowering?
Feeding lonicera periclymenum 'serotina' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' 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 1410 bloom guides in the Growli library