Getting it to bloom

Why won't my New Zealand Tree Fuchsia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called New Zealand Tree Fuchsia, Kotukutuku, Tree Fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata).

More about new zealand tree fuchsia

About New Zealand Tree Fuchsia

Fuchsia excorticata · also called New Zealand Tree Fuchsia, Kotukutuku · flowering

Fuchsia excorticata (kotukutuku) is endemic to New Zealand and holds the distinction of being the world's largest fuchsia species, capable of growing to 13 m with a trunk up to 70 cm in diameter. It is a deciduous tree with highly ornamental peeling copper to reddish-brown bark, and in spring it bears small green and deep purple flowers followed by dark edible berries; pollen is bright blue, another unusual trait. Outside New Zealand it is grown as a conservatory or greenhouse specimen in the UK, requiring frost-free winter protection, though it is hardy in the very mildest coastal gardens. The Fuchsia genus is listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons new zealand tree fuchsia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming new zealand tree fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia to flower

Maximise sun. Give new zealand tree fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia and get the feeding right with the new zealand tree fuchsia 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

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my new zealand tree fuchsia flower?

New Zealand Tree Fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia bloom?

Give new zealand tree fuchsia 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 new zealand tree fuchsia normally bloom?