Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Cape Leadwort (Blue Plumbago) bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Cape leadwort, Blue plumbago, Cape plumbago, Blue jasmine, Sky flower (Plumbago auriculata).

More about cape leadwort (blue plumbago)

About Cape Leadwort (Blue Plumbago)

Plumbago auriculata · also called Cape leadwort, Blue plumbago · flowering

Cape leadwort is a vigorous, frost-tender South African shrub prized for sky-blue phlox-like blooms from summer into autumn. Give it full sun, moderate water and well-drained soil; hard-prune in late winter. It is not ASPCA-listed but contains plumbagin, a skin irritant, so treat it as mildly toxic and verify with a vet.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Few or no flowers: Almost always too little light — move to full sun. Avoid pruning in summer: blooms form on new growth, so cutting then removes that season's flower buds.

The reasons cape leadwort (blue plumbago) isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming cape leadwort (blue plumbago) 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 cape leadwort (blue plumbago) 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 cape leadwort (blue plumbago) to flower

Maximise sun. Give cape leadwort (blue plumbago) 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 cape leadwort (blue plumbago) and get the feeding right with the cape leadwort (blue plumbago) 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

Cape Leadwort (Blue Plumbago) 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 cape leadwort (blue plumbago) care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Cape Leadwort (Blue Plumbago) blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my cape leadwort (blue plumbago) flower?

Cape Leadwort (Blue Plumbago) 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 cape leadwort (blue plumbago) bloom?

Give cape leadwort (blue plumbago) 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 cape leadwort (blue plumbago) normally bloom?