Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Prince's feather bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Prince's feather, grain amaranth, purple amaranth, prince-of-wales feather (Amaranthus hypochondriacus).

More about prince's feather

About Prince's feather

Amaranthus hypochondriacus · also called Prince's feather, grain amaranth · flowering

Prince's feather is a tall, imposing warm-season annual bearing erect, bristling plumes of deep maroon-red to purple flowers on strong stems above large burgundy-flushed leaves. Also grown as a grain crop, its seeds are a nutritious pseudo-grain rich in protein. It thrives in full sun, heat and well-drained soil. Apply genus-level caution for pets, as Amaranthus retroflexus is ASPCA-listed as toxic.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Thrips on plumes: Thrips can distort and silver the dense flower plumes in hot, dry conditions — apply an appropriate insecticide or introduce predatory mites; avoid dusty, dry conditions which favour thrips populations.

The reasons prince's feather isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming prince's feather 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 prince's feather 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 prince's feather to flower

Maximise sun. Give prince's feather 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 prince's feather and get the feeding right with the prince's feather 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

Prince's feather 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 prince's feather care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Prince's feather blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my prince's feather flower?

Prince's feather 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 prince's feather bloom?

Give prince's feather 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 prince's feather normally bloom?