Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Raspberry Splash lungwort, pink-flowered pulmonaria (Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash').

More about raspberry splash pulmonaria

About Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria

Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' · also called Raspberry Splash lungwort, pink-flowered pulmonaria · flowering

'Raspberry Splash' is an upright lungwort with narrow, silver-spotted green leaves and early spring flowers in vivid raspberry-pink to coral that contrast handsomely with the foliage. It forms tidy clumps for moist, shady borders and woodland edges. The genus isn't individually ASPCA-listed, so treat it cautiously around pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Powdery mildew: Common in dry shade, particularly after flowering. Keep soil moist, shear back affected foliage to regrow, and improve air circulation.

The reasons raspberry splash pulmonaria isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming raspberry splash pulmonaria 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 raspberry splash pulmonaria 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 raspberry splash pulmonaria to flower

Maximise sun. Give raspberry splash pulmonaria 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 raspberry splash pulmonaria and get the feeding right with the raspberry splash pulmonaria 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

Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria 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 raspberry splash pulmonaria care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my raspberry splash pulmonaria flower?

Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria 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 raspberry splash pulmonaria bloom?

Give raspberry splash pulmonaria 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 raspberry splash pulmonaria normally bloom?