Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Spatterdock, Yellow Pond Lily, Cow Lily, Bullhead Lily (Nuphar advena).

More about spatterdock

About Spatterdock

Nuphar advena · also called Spatterdock, Yellow Pond Lily · flowering

Spatterdock is a robust North American native pond lily bearing large, heart-shaped floating and emergent leaves and distinctive globe-shaped yellow flowers held above the water surface in late spring through summer. Ideal for medium to large ponds and slow-moving waterways, it provides excellent wildlife habitat and shade that suppresses algae. Extremely cold-hardy and long-lived.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor flowering in insufficient light: Though more shade-tolerant than cultivated Nymphaea, Spatterdock in fewer than 4 hours of sun produces abundant leaves but sparse flowers. Relocate baskets to sunnier positions or thin overhanging vegetation.

The reasons spatterdock isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming spatterdock 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 spatterdock 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 spatterdock to flower

Maximise sun. Give spatterdock 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 spatterdock and get the feeding right with the spatterdock 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

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

Spatterdock blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my spatterdock flower?

Spatterdock 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 spatterdock bloom?

Give spatterdock 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 spatterdock normally bloom?