Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Summit Sage bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Summit sage, Supreme sage, Great sage (Salvia summa).

More about summit sage

About Summit Sage

Salvia summa · also called Summit sage, Supreme sage · flowering

Salvia summa is a rare, compact herbaceous perennial native to a small area of limestone cliffs in southern New Mexico, adjacent northern Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico, growing at elevations of 1,520–2,140 m in partial shade. It produces relatively large, pink to pale-lavender flowers spotted with red in the throat on a plant that reaches only about 30 cm tall, flowering in spring (March–April). Because of its specialised cliff habitat and very restricted natural range it is considered a rare plant. The ASPCA lists Salvia as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Slug and snail damage: The compact, low-growing habit makes young foliage and flowers vulnerable to slugs; use iron-phosphate pellets and gritty mulch around the crowns to deter molluscs.

The reasons summit sage isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming summit sage 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 summit sage 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 summit sage to flower

Maximise sun. Give summit sage 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 summit sage and get the feeding right with the summit sage 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

Summit Sage 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 summit sage care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Summit Sage blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my summit sage flower?

Summit Sage 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 summit sage bloom?

Give summit sage 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 summit sage normally bloom?