Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Spiraea 'Magic Carpet' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Magic Carpet Spirea, Walbuma Spirea (Spiraea japonica 'Magic Carpet').

More about spiraea 'magic carpet'

About Spiraea 'Magic Carpet'

Spiraea japonica 'Magic Carpet' · also called Magic Carpet Spirea, Walbuma Spirea · flowering

A very dwarf, ground-hugging deciduous shrub celebrated for its vivid red-orange spring foliage that transitions to golden-yellow in summer and back to fiery tones in autumn. Small rose-pink flower clusters appear in midsummer. One of the most compact and colourful spireas for container and edging use. Mildly-toxic as a precaution.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons spiraea 'magic carpet' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming spiraea 'magic carpet' 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 spiraea 'magic carpet' 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 spiraea 'magic carpet' to flower

Maximise sun. Give spiraea 'magic carpet' 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 spiraea 'magic carpet' and get the feeding right with the spiraea 'magic carpet' 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

Spiraea 'Magic Carpet' 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 spiraea 'magic carpet' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Spiraea 'Magic Carpet' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my spiraea 'magic carpet' flower?

Spiraea 'Magic Carpet' 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 spiraea 'magic carpet' bloom?

Give spiraea 'magic carpet' 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 spiraea 'magic carpet' normally bloom?