Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Spanish heath bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Spanish heath, Southern heather, Spanish tree heath (Erica australis).

More about spanish heath

About Spanish heath

Erica australis · also called Spanish heath, Southern heather · flowering

A tall, erect evergreen shrub native to the western Iberian Peninsula, bearing clusters of rose-pink to purple tubular flowers at shoot tips from late spring into early summer. More upright and substantial than the popular compact heathers, it suits the back of a mixed border or a Mediterranean-style planting. Hardy to RHS H4, it requires acidic, sharply drained soil in full sun.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Frost and wind damage: Hardy to around -10°C but young growth and flower buds can be damaged by hard spring frosts or desiccating easterly winds. Site in a sheltered spot in colder areas or provide fleece protection during severe frosts.

The reasons spanish heath isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming spanish heath 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 spanish heath 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 spanish heath to flower

Maximise sun. Give spanish heath 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 spanish heath and get the feeding right with the spanish heath 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

Spanish heath 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 spanish heath care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Spanish heath blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my spanish heath flower?

Spanish heath 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 spanish heath bloom?

Give spanish heath 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 spanish heath normally bloom?