Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Mexican Orange Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Mexican orange sage, Fallax sage (Salvia fallax).

More about mexican orange sage

About Mexican Orange Sage

Salvia fallax · also called Mexican orange sage, Fallax sage · flowering

Salvia fallax is a tender perennial sage native to Mexico and Central America, bearing dense whorled spikes of vivid orange-red to coral tubular flowers that are a magnet for hummingbirds and long-tongued pollinators throughout summer and autumn. Its aromatic foliage and hot-coloured blooms make it a striking container plant or half-hardy border perennial in frost-free climates. Grow in full sun with excellent drainage; it is notably intolerant of waterlogged soils. Salvia is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons mexican orange sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming mexican orange sage 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 mexican orange sage 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 mexican orange sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give mexican orange sage 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 mexican orange sage and get the feeding right with the mexican orange sage 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

Mexican Orange Sage 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 mexican orange sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Mexican Orange Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my mexican orange sage flower?

Mexican Orange Sage 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 mexican orange sage bloom?

Give mexican orange sage 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 mexican orange sage normally bloom?