Getting it to bloom
Why won't my Valentine's Crown Vetch bloom? (and how to make it flower)
Also called Valentine's Crown Vetch, Mediterranean Crown Vetch, Shrubby Scorpion Vetch (Coronilla valentina).
More about valentine's crown vetch
About Valentine's Crown Vetch
Coronilla valentina · also called Valentine's Crown Vetch, Mediterranean Crown Vetch · flowering
Coronilla valentina is a compact, bushy evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean basin, valued for its clusters of intensely honey-scented bright yellow pea flowers that can appear from late winter through spring and often again in autumn. It thrives in full sun on sharply drained, poor to moderately fertile soils and is one of the more drought-tolerant ornamental shrubs for mild coastal gardens. The most important care fact is that it needs a sheltered, frost-free or lightly frosted position — it is not reliably hardy below about -5 °C (23 °F) and is best grown against a warm, south- or west-facing wall in cooler areas. Coronilla contains coronillin and other glycosides considered toxic to dogs and cats if ingested in quantity.
Plant type: flowering
The reasons valentine's crown vetch isn't blooming
Almost every non-blooming valentine's crown vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch to flower
- Maximise sun. Give valentine's crown vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch and get the feeding right with the valentine's crown vetch 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
Valentine's Crown Vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.
Valentine's Crown Vetch blooming — frequently asked questions
Why won't my valentine's crown vetch flower?
Valentine's Crown Vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch bloom?
Give valentine's crown vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch normally bloom?
Valentine's Crown Vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch 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 valentine's crown vetch flowering?
Feeding valentine's crown vetch a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.
Keep reading
- Valentine's Crown Vetch care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- Valentine's Crown Vetch light needs — usually the first thing to fix for flowers
- Valentine's Crown Vetch 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