Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pale Vygie bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Pale Vygie, Pale Dew-Plant, Rosea Ice Plant (Drosanthemum floribundum).

More about pale vygie

About Pale Vygie

Drosanthemum floribundum · also called Pale Vygie, Pale Dew-Plant · flowering

A prostrate, mat-forming succulent perennial from South Africa, smothering itself in lilac-pink to pale purple daisy-like flowers in late spring and early summer. The flowers open at midday and close by nightfall. Vigorous and drought-tolerant, it makes excellent ground cover or a trailing container plant in sunny, well-drained spots in mild, frost-light climates.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leggy, sparse growth in shade: Without adequate direct sun the plant produces elongated, floppy stems and few flowers. Relocate to the sunniest available position or trim back and allow to regenerate in better light.

The reasons pale vygie isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pale vygie 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 pale vygie 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 pale vygie to flower

Maximise sun. Give pale vygie 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 pale vygie and get the feeding right with the pale vygie 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

Pale Vygie 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 pale vygie care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pale Vygie blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pale vygie flower?

Pale Vygie 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 pale vygie bloom?

Give pale vygie 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 pale vygie normally bloom?