Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Starry Solomon's Seal bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Starry Solomon's seal, Starry false Solomon's seal, Star-flowered lily of the valley (Maianthemum stellatum).

More about starry solomon's seal

About Starry Solomon's Seal

Maianthemum stellatum · also called Starry Solomon's seal, Starry false Solomon's seal · flowering

Maianthemum stellatum is a native North American woodland perennial found from Alaska south to California and east across Canada and the northern United States, typically colonising moist, shaded slopes and stream margins. It produces unbranched arching stems with lance-shaped leaves and terminal clusters of small, white, star-shaped flowers in late spring, followed by striking striped berries that ripen to deep red or purplish-black. The single most important care requirement is consistently moist, humus-rich, acidic soil in part to full shade; it spreads slowly by rhizome and is best left undisturbed once established. The berries contain steroidal saponins and the plant is not listed on the ASPCA database as non-toxic — treat as mildly toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons starry solomon's seal isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming starry solomon's seal 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 starry solomon's seal 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 starry solomon's seal to flower

Maximise sun. Give starry solomon's seal 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 starry solomon's seal and get the feeding right with the starry solomon's seal 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

Starry Solomon's Seal 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 starry solomon's seal care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Starry Solomon's Seal blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my starry solomon's seal flower?

Starry Solomon's Seal 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 starry solomon's seal bloom?

Give starry solomon's seal 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 starry solomon's seal normally bloom?