Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Pyrenean Merendera bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Pyrenean merendera, Pyrenean mountain saffron, Spanish merendera (Merendera montana).

More about pyrenean merendera

About Pyrenean Merendera

Merendera montana · also called Pyrenean merendera, Pyrenean mountain saffron · flowering

Merendera montana (syn. Colchicum montanum) is a small autumn-flowering cormous perennial in the family Colchicaceae, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and Pyrenees where it colonises montane and subalpine grasslands up to 2,300 m. Its slender star-shaped lilac-pink to rosy-purple flowers appear at ground level in late summer and early autumn before the narrow strap-like leaves emerge, making it ideal for a sunny rock garden or alpine trough. Plant corms 8–10 cm deep in a sharply drained, gritty soil in a sunny, open position. All parts are highly toxic — the plant contains colchicine and related tropolone alkaloids.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons pyrenean merendera isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming pyrenean merendera 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 pyrenean merendera 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 pyrenean merendera to flower

Maximise sun. Give pyrenean merendera 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 pyrenean merendera and get the feeding right with the pyrenean merendera 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

Pyrenean Merendera 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 pyrenean merendera care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Pyrenean Merendera blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my pyrenean merendera flower?

Pyrenean Merendera 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 pyrenean merendera bloom?

Give pyrenean merendera 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 pyrenean merendera normally bloom?