Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pheasant Tail Grass bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called pheasant tail grass, wind grass, gossamer grass (Anemanthele lessoniana).

More about pheasant tail grass

About Pheasant Tail Grass

Anemanthele lessoniana · also called pheasant tail grass, wind grass · flowering

Pheasant tail grass (Anemanthele lessoniana), a New Zealand native once classed as Stipa, is an evergreen clumping grass famed for foliage that shifts from green to fiery orange, bronze and copper as the seasons cool. In summer it throws a haze of fine, airy purplish flower panicles that catch the breeze. Drought-tolerant and graceful, it suits sunny borders, gravel gardens and containers.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Prolific self-seeding: It can seed about freely and naturalise aggressively in mild climates. Cut back flowering stems before seed ripens and pull unwanted seedlings to keep it in check.

The reasons pheasant tail grass isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pheasant tail grass 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 pheasant tail grass 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 pheasant tail grass to flower

Maximise sun. Give pheasant tail grass 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 pheasant tail grass and get the feeding right with the pheasant tail grass 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

Pheasant Tail Grass 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 pheasant tail grass care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pheasant Tail Grass blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pheasant tail grass flower?

Pheasant Tail Grass 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 pheasant tail grass bloom?

Give pheasant tail grass 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 pheasant tail grass normally bloom?