Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Spike heath, Spiked heath, Balkan heath (Bruckenthalia spiculifolia).

More about spike heath

About Spike heath

Bruckenthalia spiculifolia · also called Spike heath, Spiked heath · flowering

Spike heath is a compact, mat-forming evergreen shrub from the mountains of southeastern Europe and Turkey, closely allied to Erica. It produces dense spikes of tiny rose-pink bell-shaped flowers in early summer above needle-like foliage. Excellent ground cover for acidic, well-drained rock gardens and heathland plantings. No known toxicity to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leggy, open growth with poor flowering: Caused by insufficient sunlight or over-rich soil. Move plants to a sunnier location and reduce or eliminate fertiliser. Light shearing immediately after flowering prevents woody, open stems and encourages dense new growth that flowers the following year.

The reasons spike heath isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming spike 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 spike 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 spike heath to flower

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

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

Spike heath blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my spike heath flower?

Spike 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 spike heath bloom?

Give spike 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 spike heath normally bloom?