Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Madagascar jasmine, Bridal wreath, Wax flower, Hawaiian wedding flower, Bridal veil vine (Stephanotis floribunda).

More about madagascar jasmine

About Madagascar Jasmine

Stephanotis floribunda · also called Madagascar jasmine, Bridal wreath · flowering

Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda) is a twining evergreen vine prized for intensely fragrant, waxy white trumpet flowers. Give it bright, filtered light, consistently moist soil in summer, warmth above 13C and high humidity. Avoid moving it while in bud. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Bud and flower drop: Stephanotis is notoriously sensitive to being moved, temperature swings, draughts and underwatering once it sets buds. Keep it in one stable spot and avoid rotating or relocating the plant while in bud.

The reasons madagascar jasmine isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming madagascar jasmine 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 madagascar jasmine 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 madagascar jasmine to flower

Maximise sun. Give madagascar jasmine 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 madagascar jasmine and get the feeding right with the madagascar jasmine 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

Madagascar Jasmine 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 madagascar jasmine care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Madagascar Jasmine blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my madagascar jasmine flower?

Madagascar Jasmine 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 madagascar jasmine bloom?

Give madagascar jasmine 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 madagascar jasmine normally bloom?