Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Hazel Smith Sequoia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Hazel Smith Giant Sequoia, Dwarf Giant Sequoia, Blue Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Hazel Smith').

More about hazel smith sequoia

About Hazel Smith Sequoia

Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Hazel Smith' · also called Hazel Smith Giant Sequoia, Dwarf Giant Sequoia · flowering

Hazel Smith Sequoia is a notably blue-green cultivar of the giant sequoia with a dense, broadly conical habit, selected for its outstanding foliage colour. It grows far more slowly than the species, making it suitable for larger gardens. Not listed by the ASPCA as toxic; considered low-risk to pets.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons hazel smith sequoia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming hazel smith sequoia 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 hazel smith sequoia 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 hazel smith sequoia to flower

Maximise sun. Give hazel smith sequoia 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 hazel smith sequoia and get the feeding right with the hazel smith sequoia 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

Hazel Smith Sequoia 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 hazel smith sequoia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Hazel Smith Sequoia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my hazel smith sequoia flower?

Hazel Smith Sequoia 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 hazel smith sequoia bloom?

Give hazel smith sequoia 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 hazel smith sequoia normally bloom?