Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Prairie Bluebells bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Prairie Bluebells, Rocky Mountain Bluebells, Lance-leaf Bluebells (Mertensia lanceolata).
More about prairie bluebells
About Prairie Bluebells
Mertensia lanceolata · also called Prairie Bluebells, Rocky Mountain Bluebells · flowering
Mertensia lanceolata is a compact, spring-ephemeral herbaceous perennial native to dry hillsides, prairies, and open woodlands of the Rocky Mountain states and northern Great Plains, growing naturally between 1,500 and 3,600 m elevation. It produces nodding, bell-shaped flowers in shades of deep blue to pinkish-purple in late spring to early summer, then dies back to the ground by midsummer. The most important care fact is well-drained, gritty soil — this plant cannot tolerate winter-wet conditions and rots easily in waterlogged heavy soils. Mertensia species contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids and should be treated as mildly toxic to pets.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Aphids: Colonies of green aphids can disfigure the soft spring foliage and flower stems. Knock off with a strong water jet or treat with an insecticidal soap spray; the plant dies back naturally by midsummer, limiting the season of exposure.
The reasons prairie bluebells isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming prairie bluebells 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 prairie bluebells 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 prairie bluebells to flower
- Maximise sun. Give prairie bluebells 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 prairie bluebells and get the feeding right with the prairie bluebells 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
Prairie Bluebells 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 prairie bluebells care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Prairie Bluebells blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my prairie bluebells flower?
Prairie Bluebells 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 prairie bluebells bloom?
Give prairie bluebells 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 prairie bluebells normally bloom?
Prairie Bluebells flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with prairie bluebells after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping prairie bluebells flowering?
Feeding prairie bluebells a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Prairie Bluebells care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Prairie Bluebells light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Prairie Bluebells fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library