Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Red morning glory bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Red morning glory, Scarlet creeper, Redstar, Mexican morning glory (Ipomoea coccinea).

More about red morning glory

About Red morning glory

Ipomoea coccinea · also called Red morning glory, Scarlet creeper · flowering

Red morning glory is a slender, fast-twining annual vine bearing clusters of small scarlet trumpets with yellow throats that attract hummingbirds. Thrives in full sun on poor-to-average soil and tolerates heat and drought once established. Seeds contain indole alkaloids and are toxic to pets. Can reseed aggressively in warm climates.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Invasive reseeding: In warm climates (zones 9+) plants self-sow prolifically and can spread beyond the intended area. Deadhead spent flowers before seeds ripen, or pull seedlings early in spring.

The reasons red morning glory isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming red morning glory 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 red morning glory 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 red morning glory to flower

Maximise sun. Give red morning glory 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 red morning glory and get the feeding right with the red morning glory 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

Red morning glory 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 red morning glory care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Red morning glory blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my red morning glory flower?

Red morning glory 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 red morning glory bloom?

Give red morning glory 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 red morning glory normally bloom?