Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Lungwort 'Bertram Anderson' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bertram Anderson Lungwort, Long-Leaved Lungwort, Spotted Dog (Pulmonaria longifolia).

More about lungwort 'bertram anderson'

About Lungwort 'Bertram Anderson'

Pulmonaria longifolia · also called Bertram Anderson Lungwort, Long-Leaved Lungwort · flowering

Lungwort 'Bertram Anderson' is a beautiful shade perennial with narrow, intensely silver-spotted leaves and deep violet-blue flowers in early spring. Neater and more drought-tolerant than some pulmonarias, it excels as ground cover under trees. Moist, humus-rich shade suits it best. Pet-safe according to ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: Less prone than some pulmonarias, but can still appear in warm, dry conditions; cut back after flowering and water well.

The reasons lungwort 'bertram anderson' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lungwort 'bertram anderson' 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 lungwort 'bertram anderson' 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 lungwort 'bertram anderson' to flower

Maximise sun. Give lungwort 'bertram anderson' 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 lungwort 'bertram anderson' and get the feeding right with the lungwort 'bertram anderson' 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

Lungwort 'Bertram Anderson' 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 lungwort 'bertram anderson' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lungwort 'Bertram Anderson' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lungwort 'bertram anderson' flower?

Lungwort 'Bertram Anderson' 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 lungwort 'bertram anderson' bloom?

Give lungwort 'bertram anderson' 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 lungwort 'bertram anderson' normally bloom?