Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pachystachys Lutea bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called golden shrimp plant, lollipop plant, golden candles (Pachystachys lutea).

More about pachystachys lutea

About Pachystachys Lutea

Pachystachys lutea · also called golden shrimp plant, lollipop plant · flowering

Pachystachys lutea is an evergreen tropical shrub grown for its long-lasting golden-yellow flower spikes, from which slender white flowers briefly emerge. Native to Central and South America, it blooms almost year-round in warmth and bright light. Grown as a houseplant or conservatory specimen in temperate regions and as a garden shrub in frost-free climates.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids and whitefly: Soft new growth and flower spikes attract aphids and whitefly, especially indoors in winter. Inspect regularly and treat early with insecticidal soap or a firm water rinse.

The reasons pachystachys lutea isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pachystachys lutea 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 pachystachys lutea 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 pachystachys lutea to flower

Maximise sun. Give pachystachys lutea 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 pachystachys lutea and get the feeding right with the pachystachys lutea 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

Pachystachys Lutea 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 pachystachys lutea care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pachystachys Lutea blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pachystachys lutea flower?

Pachystachys Lutea 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 pachystachys lutea bloom?

Give pachystachys lutea 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 pachystachys lutea normally bloom?