Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Smooth Beardtongue bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Smooth Beardtongue, Eastern Smooth Penstemon (Penstemon laevigatus).

More about smooth beardtongue

About Smooth Beardtongue

Penstemon laevigatus · also called Smooth Beardtongue, Eastern Smooth Penstemon · flowering

Smooth Beardtongue is a native eastern US perennial with hairless (glabrous) stems and soft lavender to pale purple tubular flowers in late spring to early summer. It tolerates more moisture and richer soil than many penstemons, making it a versatile choice for meadow gardens, rain gardens, and open woodlands.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Flopping stems: In fertile soils or partial shade, stems can become tall and floppy. Cut back by one-third after the first flush of bloom or grow in full sun with lean soil to maintain compact habit.

The reasons smooth beardtongue isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming smooth beardtongue 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 smooth beardtongue 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 smooth beardtongue to flower

Maximise sun. Give smooth beardtongue 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 smooth beardtongue and get the feeding right with the smooth beardtongue 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

Smooth Beardtongue 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 smooth beardtongue care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Smooth Beardtongue blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my smooth beardtongue flower?

Smooth Beardtongue 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 smooth beardtongue bloom?

Give smooth beardtongue 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 smooth beardtongue normally bloom?