Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea, Everlasting Pea, Perennial Sweet Pea (Lathyrus grandiflorus).
More about two-flowered everlasting pea
About Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea
Lathyrus grandiflorus · also called Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea, Everlasting Pea · flowering
A vigorous, tuberous-rooted perennial climbing pea from the Mediterranean, bearing pairs of large, vivid cerise-pink flowers from early summer to early autumn. Unlike annual sweet peas, it spreads by underground rhizomes and returns reliably each year. Fully hardy to H6, it suits cottage gardens, sunny fences, and informal hedges, with minimal care once established.
Plant type: flowering
Watch for — Aphids: Blackfly and greenfly commonly colonise the growing tips and flower stems in late spring and early summer. Pinch out affected tips, blast off colonies with a strong water jet, and apply insecticidal soap if infestations are heavy.
The reasons two-flowered everlasting pea isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming two-flowered everlasting pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea to flower
- Maximise sun. Give two-flowered everlasting pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea and get the feeding right with the two-flowered everlasting pea 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
Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my two-flowered everlasting pea flower?
Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea bloom?
Give two-flowered everlasting pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea normally bloom?
Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea 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 two-flowered everlasting pea flowering?
Feeding two-flowered everlasting pea a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Two-Flowered Everlasting Pea 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 3229 bloom guides in the Growli library