Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Spotted Nomocharis bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Spotted nomocharis, Nomocharis (Nomocharis pardanthina).
More about spotted nomocharis
About Spotted Nomocharis
Nomocharis pardanthina · also called Spotted nomocharis, Nomocharis · flowering
Nomocharis pardanthina is a rare and exquisitely beautiful bulbous perennial in the lily family, native to alpine meadows and forest margins at high altitude in south-west China (Yunnan), Myanmar, and Tibet. It produces nodding, saucer-shaped flowers of pale pink to rose, heavily spotted with deep crimson-purple at the centre, on slender leafy stems in early summer. It demands cool, moist, acidic conditions with excellent drainage and is best suited to a cool, partly shaded peat-bed, woodland garden, or alpine house in the UK; summer heat and dry roots are its greatest enemies. All true lilies (Liliaceae) are extremely toxic to cats.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii): Bright red adult beetles and their mud-covered larvae devour leaves and buds rapidly; check plants daily in spring and summer and remove by hand, or apply a pyrethrin-based spray as a last resort.
The reasons spotted nomocharis isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming spotted nomocharis 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 spotted nomocharis 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 spotted nomocharis to flower
- Maximise sun. Give spotted nomocharis 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 spotted nomocharis and get the feeding right with the spotted nomocharis 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
Spotted Nomocharis 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 spotted nomocharis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Spotted Nomocharis blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my spotted nomocharis flower?
Spotted Nomocharis 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 spotted nomocharis bloom?
Give spotted nomocharis 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 spotted nomocharis normally bloom?
Spotted Nomocharis flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.
What should I do with spotted nomocharis after it flowers?
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.
What is the single biggest mistake stopping spotted nomocharis flowering?
Feeding spotted nomocharis a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Spotted Nomocharis care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Spotted Nomocharis light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Spotted Nomocharis fertilising — the right feed for buds, not just leaves
- Should I water my plant? The simple check
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry
- Underwatered plant — signs and rehydration
- Why won't my peace lily bloom?
- Why won't my jade plant bloom?
- Why won't my tomato bloom?
- All 4114 bloom guides in the Growli library