Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Tiger Flower bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Tiger flower, Mexican shell flower, Peacock flower, Oceloxochitl (Tigridia pavonia).

More about tiger flower

About Tiger Flower

Tigridia pavonia · also called Tiger flower, Mexican shell flower · flowering

Tigridia pavonia is a showy bulbous perennial from Mexico and Central America, producing exotic, large (10–15 cm), three-petalled flowers in vivid reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, and white — each heavily spotted at the centre — from midsummer through to early autumn. Individual flowers last only one day, but each stem carries multiple buds that open in succession over several weeks. It needs full sun, fertile well-drained soil, and warm summers to perform at its best; in cooler climates the bulbs should be lifted before the first frost. No toxicity to cats or dogs has been formally reported, but ingestion is still best avoided.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons tiger flower isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming tiger flower 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 tiger flower 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 tiger flower to flower

Maximise sun. Give tiger flower 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 tiger flower and get the feeding right with the tiger flower 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

Tiger Flower 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 tiger flower care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Tiger Flower blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my tiger flower flower?

Tiger Flower 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 tiger flower bloom?

Give tiger flower 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 tiger flower normally bloom?