Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Three-Coloured Bladderwort bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Three-coloured bladderwort, Three-colored bladderwort (Utricularia tricolor).
More about three-coloured bladderwort
About Three-Coloured Bladderwort
Utricularia tricolor · also called Three-coloured bladderwort, Three-colored bladderwort · flowering
Utricularia tricolor is a perennial terrestrial bladderwort native to South America, found across Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela, where it grows in seasonally wet grasslands and savannas. Named for its striking three-toned flowers — purple upper lobe, white lower lip, and yellow centre — it is one of the showiest bladderworts in cultivation. The most critical care point is using only mineral-poor water such as rainwater or reverse-osmosis water. No toxicity to cats or dogs has been established for this species.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — No flowers produced: Insufficient light is the most common cause of failure to bloom; move the plant to a brighter position with at least 5 hours of bright indirect light daily, and ensure the growing medium has not become over-saturated or anaerobic.
The reasons three-coloured bladderwort isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming three-coloured bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort to flower
- Maximise sun. Give three-coloured bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort and get the feeding right with the three-coloured bladderwort 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
Three-Coloured Bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Three-Coloured Bladderwort blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my three-coloured bladderwort flower?
Three-Coloured Bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort bloom?
Give three-coloured bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort normally bloom?
Three-Coloured Bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort 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 three-coloured bladderwort flowering?
Feeding three-coloured bladderwort a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Three-Coloured Bladderwort care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Three-Coloured Bladderwort light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Three-Coloured Bladderwort 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