Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Marseille Germander bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Marseille Germander, Hybrid Germander (Teucrium massiliense).
More about marseille germander
About Marseille Germander
Teucrium massiliense · also called Marseille Germander, Hybrid Germander · flowering
Teucrium massiliense is a deciduous Mediterranean subshrub native to southern France and surrounding coastal regions, growing to around 1 m tall with grey-tomentose stems and small pink flowers that appear in summer and sometimes again in early autumn. It demands full sun and alkaline, sharply drained soil, rewarding neglect with drought tolerance rather than regular irrigation. After two to three years of establishment virtually no supplemental watering is needed. The plant is mildly toxic if ingested due to diterpene compounds present throughout the Teucrium genus.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Legginess without pruning: Plants become woody and open without regular light trimming; cut back faded flower spikes in late summer and tidy lightly in late winter to maintain a compact shape.
The reasons marseille germander isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming marseille germander 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 marseille germander 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 marseille germander to flower
- Maximise sun. Give marseille germander 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 marseille germander and get the feeding right with the marseille germander 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
Marseille Germander 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 marseille germander care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Marseille Germander blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my marseille germander flower?
Marseille Germander 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 marseille germander bloom?
Give marseille germander 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 marseille germander normally bloom?
Marseille Germander 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 marseille germander 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 marseille germander flowering?
Feeding marseille germander a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Marseille Germander care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Marseille Germander light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Marseille Germander 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 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library