Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Nevada Lewisia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Nevada Lewisia, Nevada Bitterroot (Lewisia nevadensis).

More about nevada lewisia

About Nevada Lewisia

Lewisia nevadensis · also called Nevada Lewisia, Nevada Bitterroot · flowering

Found in moist mountain meadows, streambanks, and subalpine grasslands throughout the western United States, Lewisia nevadensis is a deciduous, taproot-forming alpine perennial that produces a rosette of narrow, fleshy leaves and starry white to pale pink flowers in late spring. Unlike the evergreen L. cotyledon, it goes completely dormant after flowering and must be kept dry during summer to prevent the taproot rotting. The most critical care point is allowing the plant to experience natural summer drought during dormancy. Lewisia is not listed by the ASPCA; classified as mildly-toxic as a precaution.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons nevada lewisia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming nevada lewisia 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 nevada lewisia 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 nevada lewisia to flower

Maximise sun. Give nevada lewisia 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 nevada lewisia and get the feeding right with the nevada lewisia 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

Nevada Lewisia 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 nevada lewisia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Nevada Lewisia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my nevada lewisia flower?

Nevada Lewisia 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 nevada lewisia bloom?

Give nevada lewisia 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 nevada lewisia normally bloom?