Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Small-flowered Pickerelweed bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Small-flowered Pickerelweed, Small Pickerelweed (Pontederia parviflora).

More about small-flowered pickerelweed

About Small-flowered Pickerelweed

Pontederia parviflora · also called Small-flowered Pickerelweed, Small Pickerelweed · flowering

Small-flowered Pickerelweed is a native aquatic marginal plant bearing slender spikes of violet-blue flowers above arrow-shaped leaves. It thrives in shallow water or consistently wet soil and performs best in full sun. Excellent for pond margins, rain gardens, and naturalistic water features; supports pollinators and provides wildlife habitat.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphid colonies on flower spikes: Dense flower spikes attract aphids in warm weather. Blast off with a strong jet of water or introduce lacewings; avoid chemical sprays near open water to protect aquatic life.

The reasons small-flowered pickerelweed isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming small-flowered pickerelweed 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 small-flowered pickerelweed 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 small-flowered pickerelweed to flower

Maximise sun. Give small-flowered pickerelweed 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 small-flowered pickerelweed and get the feeding right with the small-flowered pickerelweed 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

Small-flowered Pickerelweed 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 small-flowered pickerelweed care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Small-flowered Pickerelweed blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my small-flowered pickerelweed flower?

Small-flowered Pickerelweed 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 small-flowered pickerelweed bloom?

Give small-flowered pickerelweed 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 small-flowered pickerelweed normally bloom?