Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Maltese cross bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Maltese cross, Jerusalem cross, Scarlet lightning, Flower of Bristol (Lychnis chalcedonica).

More about maltese cross

About Maltese cross

Lychnis chalcedonica · also called Maltese cross, Jerusalem cross · flowering

A striking cottage-garden perennial bearing tight, flat-topped clusters of vivid scarlet-red flowers with distinctive cross-shaped petals on tall, upright stems in early to midsummer. Thrives in moist, fertile soil in sun or partial shade. Considered pet-safe. Bold and long-flowering, it partners well with blue and yellow perennials.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: White-grey fungal coating on foliage appears in warm, dry, or poorly ventilated conditions, typically in mid to late summer after flowering. Remove affected leaves, improve air circulation, and water at the base. Seldom fatal.

The reasons maltese cross isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming maltese cross 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 maltese cross 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 maltese cross to flower

Maximise sun. Give maltese cross 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 maltese cross and get the feeding right with the maltese cross 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

Maltese cross 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 maltese cross care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Maltese cross blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my maltese cross flower?

Maltese cross 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 maltese cross bloom?

Give maltese cross 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 maltese cross normally bloom?