Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Purple Dragon Dead Nettle bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Purple Dragon Dead Nettle, Purple Dragon Spotted Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon').
More about purple dragon dead nettle
About Purple Dragon Dead Nettle
Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon' · also called Purple Dragon Dead Nettle, Purple Dragon Spotted Dead Nettle · flowering
An eye-catching cultivar with predominantly silver leaves bearing a wide green margin and exceptionally large, deep magenta-purple flowers — notably bigger than those of most other Lamium maculatum selections. Fast-growing and effective as ground cover under trees or in shaded borders. Hardy to USDA zone 3.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Summer heat dormancy: In zones 7–8, plants can brown and die back mid-season in high heat. Shear back to 5 cm after the main flower flush and water well; vigorous regrowth typically appears in early autumn.
The reasons purple dragon dead nettle isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming purple dragon dead nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle to flower
- Maximise sun. Give purple dragon dead nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle and get the feeding right with the purple dragon dead nettle 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
Purple Dragon Dead Nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Purple Dragon Dead Nettle blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my purple dragon dead nettle flower?
Purple Dragon Dead Nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle bloom?
Give purple dragon dead nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle normally bloom?
Purple Dragon Dead Nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle 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 purple dragon dead nettle flowering?
Feeding purple dragon dead nettle a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Purple Dragon Dead Nettle care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Purple Dragon Dead Nettle light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Purple Dragon Dead Nettle 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 3229 bloom guides in the Growli library