Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Smooth Solomon's seal, King Solomon's seal, Small Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum).

More about smooth solomon's seal

About Smooth Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum biflorum · also called Smooth Solomon's seal, King Solomon's seal · flowering

Polygonatum biflorum is a graceful native perennial of eastern North America, ranging from New England south to Florida and west to Nebraska, growing in moist deciduous woodlands and shaded banks. Its arching stems carry pairs of pendant, tubular, greenish-white flowers along the underside in late spring, followed by blue-black berries in autumn. The most important care factor is providing consistent moisture in humus-rich soil under partial to full shade, as the plant will establish and spread reliably when these conditions are met. All parts, particularly the berries and rhizomes, contain steroidal saponins and are considered mildly toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons smooth solomon's seal isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming smooth solomon's seal 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 solomon's seal 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 solomon's seal to flower

Maximise sun. Give smooth solomon's seal 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 solomon's seal and get the feeding right with the smooth solomon's seal 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 Solomon's Seal 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 solomon's seal care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Smooth Solomon's Seal blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my smooth solomon's seal flower?

Smooth Solomon's Seal 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 solomon's seal bloom?

Give smooth solomon's seal 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 solomon's seal normally bloom?