Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lungwort Pulmonaria bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called common lungwort, spotted lungwort, Jerusalem cowslip (Pulmonaria officinalis).

More about lungwort pulmonaria

About Lungwort Pulmonaria

Pulmonaria officinalis · also called common lungwort, spotted lungwort · flowering

Common lungwort is a low, spreading woodland perennial with silver-spotted, bristly leaves and early spring flowers that open pink and age to blue or violet on the same stem. It thrives in shade and moist, humus-rich soil, making excellent ground cover. The genus isn't individually ASPCA-listed, so treat it with caution around pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: Very common in dry shade after flowering, coating leaves white. Keep soil moist, cut back tired foliage to force fresh growth, and improve airflow.

The reasons lungwort pulmonaria isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lungwort pulmonaria 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 lungwort pulmonaria 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 lungwort pulmonaria to flower

Maximise sun. Give lungwort pulmonaria 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 lungwort pulmonaria and get the feeding right with the lungwort pulmonaria 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

Lungwort Pulmonaria 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 lungwort pulmonaria care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lungwort Pulmonaria blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lungwort pulmonaria flower?

Lungwort Pulmonaria 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 lungwort pulmonaria bloom?

Give lungwort pulmonaria 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 lungwort pulmonaria normally bloom?