Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Black Dragon Coleus, Dark Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon').

More about plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon'

About Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon'

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon' · also called Black Dragon Coleus, Dark Coleus · flowering

'Black Dragon' is a compact coleus prized for deeply ruffled, near-black burgundy foliage rather than its small blue flower spikes. Grown as a tender annual in beds or containers, it thrives in part shade with rich moist soil and pinches into a dense mound. Strong colour develops in bright, filtered light through the warm season.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leggy, sparse growth: Skipping tip-pinching and letting flower spikes develop causes stretching; pinch regularly and remove blooms to keep the plant dense.

The reasons plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' 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 plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' 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 plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' to flower

Maximise sun. Give plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' 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 plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' and get the feeding right with the plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' 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

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon' 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 plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' flower?

Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Black Dragon' 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 plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' bloom?

Give plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' 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 plectranthus scutellarioides 'black dragon' normally bloom?