Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Butterfly Blue pincushion flower (Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue').
More about scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue'
About Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' · also called Butterfly Blue pincushion flower · flowering
An exceptionally long-blooming, compact perennial smothered in lavender-blue pincushion flowers from late spring through autumn. 'Butterfly Blue' is a pollinator favourite, drawing constant butterflies and bees, and rewards regular deadheading with near-continuous colour. Neat and mounding, it suits borders, edges, and containers, thriving in full sun and sharp-draining, alkaline-leaning soil.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Declining blooms without deadheading: Its signature long season depends on removing spent flowers; deadhead regularly to keep new buds forming.
The reasons scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' to flower
- Maximise sun. Give scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' and get the feeding right with the scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' 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
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' flower?
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' bloom?
Give scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' normally bloom?
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' 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 scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' flowering?
Feeding scabiosa columbaria 'butterfly blue' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' 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 639 bloom guides in the Growli library