Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Titanotrichum oldhamii bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Oldham's titanotrichum, Taiwanese gesneriad (Titanotrichum oldhamii).

More about titanotrichum oldhamii

About Titanotrichum oldhamii

Titanotrichum oldhamii · also called Oldham's titanotrichum, Taiwanese gesneriad · flowering

Titanotrichum oldhamii is an unusual woodland gesneriad from Taiwan, southern China, and Japan, prized by collectors for tall spikes of tubular yellow flowers with maroon throats. It spreads by underground stolons tipped with rice-like bulbils and dies back to rest in winter. Cool, shaded, humid, woodland conditions suit this hardy, shade-loving perennial best.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Plants may grow vegetatively for a season or two, and bloom is favoured by an established clump in cool, bright shade with steady moisture and a settled dormancy.

The reasons titanotrichum oldhamii isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming titanotrichum oldhamii 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 titanotrichum oldhamii 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 titanotrichum oldhamii to flower

Maximise sun. Give titanotrichum oldhamii 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 titanotrichum oldhamii and get the feeding right with the titanotrichum oldhamii 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

Titanotrichum oldhamii 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 titanotrichum oldhamii care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Titanotrichum oldhamii blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my titanotrichum oldhamii flower?

Titanotrichum oldhamii 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 titanotrichum oldhamii bloom?

Give titanotrichum oldhamii 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 titanotrichum oldhamii normally bloom?