Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Prostrate Speedwell bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Prostrate Speedwell, Rock Speedwell, Creeping Speedwell (Veronica prostrata).

More about prostrate speedwell

About Prostrate Speedwell

Veronica prostrata · also called Prostrate Speedwell, Rock Speedwell · flowering

Prostrate Speedwell is a mat-forming perennial native to dry grasslands and rocky hillsides across Europe and western Asia. It produces a carpet of vivid blue to violet flower spikes in late spring and early summer, making it an outstanding groundcover for rock gardens, slopes, and the front of sunny borders. Tough, drought-tolerant, and long-lived once established.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: White powdery deposits appear on leaves in warm, humid conditions with poor air circulation. Thin the mat by cutting back after flowering to improve airflow. A preventive copper-based fungicide can be applied in prone areas.

The reasons prostrate speedwell isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming prostrate speedwell 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 prostrate speedwell 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 prostrate speedwell to flower

Maximise sun. Give prostrate speedwell 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 prostrate speedwell and get the feeding right with the prostrate speedwell 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

Prostrate Speedwell 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 prostrate speedwell care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Prostrate Speedwell blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my prostrate speedwell flower?

Prostrate Speedwell 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 prostrate speedwell bloom?

Give prostrate speedwell 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 prostrate speedwell normally bloom?