Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Mrs Moon Lungwort, Bethlehem Sage, Jerusalem Cowslip (Pulmonaria saccharata).

More about lungwort 'mrs moon'

About Lungwort 'Mrs Moon'

Pulmonaria saccharata · also called Mrs Moon Lungwort, Bethlehem Sage · flowering

Lungwort 'Mrs Moon' is a classic spring-flowering shade perennial with heavily silver-spotted, semi-evergreen leaves and funnel-shaped flowers that open pink and age to blue-violet. An excellent ground cover for shaded and woodland borders. Prefers moist, humus-rich soil. Pet-safe according to ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: The most common problem, especially in dry or warm summers; cut back affected foliage hard after flowering and water well to encourage fresh growth.

The reasons lungwort 'mrs moon' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming lungwort 'mrs moon' 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 'mrs moon' 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 'mrs moon' to flower

Maximise sun. Give lungwort 'mrs moon' 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 'mrs moon' and get the feeding right with the lungwort 'mrs moon' 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 'Mrs Moon' 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 'mrs moon' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Lungwort 'Mrs Moon' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my lungwort 'mrs moon' flower?

Lungwort 'Mrs Moon' 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 'mrs moon' bloom?

Give lungwort 'mrs moon' 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 'mrs moon' normally bloom?