Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Persian Shield bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Persian Shield, Royal Purple Plant, Persian shield plant (Strobilanthes dyerianus).

More about persian shield

About Persian Shield

Strobilanthes dyerianus · also called Persian Shield, Royal Purple Plant · flowering

Persian Shield is a tropical foliage perennial grown for iridescent purple-silver, lance-shaped leaves. Give it bright indirect light, consistently moist (never soggy) soil, warm temperatures and high humidity. Not individually listed by the ASPCA, so treat it as mildly toxic and check with your vet before exposing pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Decline after flowering: Plants often lose vigour once they bloom. Pinch off forming flower spikes to keep energy in the foliage, and propagate fresh cuttings to replace tired specimens.

The reasons persian shield isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming persian shield 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 persian shield 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 persian shield to flower

Maximise sun. Give persian shield 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 persian shield and get the feeding right with the persian shield 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

Persian Shield 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 persian shield care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Persian Shield blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my persian shield flower?

Persian Shield 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 persian shield bloom?

Give persian shield 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 persian shield normally bloom?