Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Madame Butterfly snapdragon bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Madame Butterfly snapdragon, Azalea-type snapdragon, Double snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus 'Madame Butterfly').
More about madame butterfly snapdragon
About Madame Butterfly snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus 'Madame Butterfly' · also called Madame Butterfly snapdragon, Azalea-type snapdragon · flowering
Madame Butterfly is a distinctive F1 snapdragon bearing fully double, azalea-type flowers with open, frilly petals in a wide colour range including cream, yellow, orange, pink, and red. Unlike single snapdragons the open-faced blooms do not provide nectar access for pollinators. It makes an exceptional, long-lasting cut flower and a lush border specimen in cool seasons.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Botrytis on double blooms: The dense double petals trap moisture, making 'Madame Butterfly' more prone to grey mould than single cultivars. Deadhead regularly, avoid wetting flowers, and ensure good air circulation.
The reasons madame butterfly snapdragon isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming madame butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon to flower
- Maximise sun. Give madame butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon and get the feeding right with the madame butterfly snapdragon 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
Madame Butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Madame Butterfly snapdragon blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my madame butterfly snapdragon flower?
Madame Butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon bloom?
Give madame butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon normally bloom?
Madame Butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon 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 madame butterfly snapdragon flowering?
Feeding madame butterfly snapdragon a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Madame Butterfly snapdragon care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Madame Butterfly snapdragon light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Madame Butterfly snapdragon 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 3229 bloom guides in the Growli library