Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Small-leaved Fuchsia bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Small-leaved Fuchsia, Small Leaf Fuchsia, Miniature Fuchsia (Fuchsia microphylla).
More about small-leaved fuchsia
About Small-leaved Fuchsia
Fuchsia microphylla · also called Small-leaved Fuchsia, Small Leaf Fuchsia · flowering
Fuchsia microphylla is a wiry-stemmed, semi-evergreen to deciduous shrub native to the highland forests of Mexico and Central America, distinguished within the genus by its notably small, paired leaves and numerous tiny pink to deep red pendant flowers produced almost continuously from spring through autumn. Despite its delicate appearance, it is a moderately vigorous grower that can reach 1.5-2.5 m and has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The most important care fact is to keep it just frost-free — it survives brief cool spells but is damaged below about -3°C (27°F) — and to provide consistent moisture during the flowering season to prevent bud drop. Fuchsia is listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiae): Causes distorted, thickened, blistered new growth at shoot tips that looks like abnormal budding. There is no chemical remedy available to home gardeners; remove all affected shoots and destroy them, and disinfect tools between plants to avoid spreading the mite.
The reasons small-leaved fuchsia isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming small-leaved fuchsia 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-leaved fuchsia 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-leaved fuchsia to flower
- Maximise sun. Give small-leaved fuchsia 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-leaved fuchsia and get the feeding right with the small-leaved fuchsia 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-leaved Fuchsia 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-leaved fuchsia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Small-leaved Fuchsia blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my small-leaved fuchsia flower?
Small-leaved Fuchsia 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-leaved fuchsia bloom?
Give small-leaved fuchsia 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-leaved fuchsia normally bloom?
Small-leaved Fuchsia 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 small-leaved fuchsia 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 small-leaved fuchsia flowering?
Feeding small-leaved fuchsia a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Small-leaved Fuchsia care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Small-leaved Fuchsia light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Small-leaved Fuchsia 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 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library