Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Perfoliate Bellwort bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Perfoliate Bellwort, Merrybells, Strawbells, Mohawk Weed (Uvularia perfoliata).

More about perfoliate bellwort

About Perfoliate Bellwort

Uvularia perfoliata · also called Perfoliate Bellwort, Merrybells · flowering

Perfoliate Bellwort is a graceful eastern North American woodland perennial recognizable by its distinctive stem-clasping, perfoliate leaves — the stem appears to pass through the leaf base. In mid-spring it bears pale yellow, bell-shaped pendulous flowers with a distinctive mealy texture inside the petals. An excellent long-lived specimen for shaded native gardens and woodland borders.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor flowering in deep shade: In very deep, dark shade, plants may produce foliage but few or no flowers. Relocate to a position with dappled light, or remove some overhead branches to increase light levels.

The reasons perfoliate bellwort isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming perfoliate bellwort 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 perfoliate bellwort 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 perfoliate bellwort to flower

Maximise sun. Give perfoliate bellwort 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 perfoliate bellwort and get the feeding right with the perfoliate bellwort 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

Perfoliate Bellwort 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 perfoliate bellwort care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Perfoliate Bellwort blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my perfoliate bellwort flower?

Perfoliate Bellwort 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 perfoliate bellwort bloom?

Give perfoliate bellwort 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 perfoliate bellwort normally bloom?