Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Ornamental Plum 'Nigra' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Nigra cherry plum, black-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra').

More about ornamental plum 'nigra'

About Ornamental Plum 'Nigra'

Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' · also called Nigra cherry plum, black-leaf plum · flowering

Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' is a small deciduous tree grown for deep blackish-purple foliage and a flush of single pink blossom in very early spring, often before the leaves. It thrives in full sun and most soils, makes a fine specimen or hedge, and may set small dark cherry-plums in warm years.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Foliage greening in shade: Insufficient sun causes the purple leaves to revert toward green and reduces flowering. Site in full sun.

The reasons ornamental plum 'nigra' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming ornamental plum 'nigra' 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 ornamental plum 'nigra' 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 ornamental plum 'nigra' to flower

Maximise sun. Give ornamental plum 'nigra' 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 ornamental plum 'nigra' and get the feeding right with the ornamental plum 'nigra' 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

Ornamental Plum 'Nigra' 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 ornamental plum 'nigra' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Ornamental Plum 'Nigra' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my ornamental plum 'nigra' flower?

Ornamental Plum 'Nigra' 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 ornamental plum 'nigra' bloom?

Give ornamental plum 'nigra' 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 ornamental plum 'nigra' normally bloom?