Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Variegated Lilyturf bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Variegated Lilyturf, Variegated Big Blue Lilyturf, Variegated Monkey Grass (Liriope muscari 'Variegata').

More about variegated lilyturf

About Variegated Lilyturf

Liriope muscari 'Variegata' · also called Variegated Lilyturf, Variegated Big Blue Lilyturf · flowering

Variegated Lilyturf is an evergreen, grass-like perennial producing arching, gold-edged dark-green leaves and spikes of violet-purple flowers in late summer, followed by black berries. An exceptionally versatile and tough groundcover or border edging plant, tolerating shade, drought, and a range of soil types. Deer-resistant and long-lived with minimal maintenance.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Loss of variegation in very deep shade: In very dense shade, leaves may revert to producing less defined gold margins and the overall vigour can decline. Move the plant to a brighter (but still shaded) position to restore characteristic variegation and flower production.

The reasons variegated lilyturf isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming variegated lilyturf 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 variegated lilyturf 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 variegated lilyturf to flower

Maximise sun. Give variegated lilyturf 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 variegated lilyturf and get the feeding right with the variegated lilyturf 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

Variegated Lilyturf 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 variegated lilyturf care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Variegated Lilyturf blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my variegated lilyturf flower?

Variegated Lilyturf 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 variegated lilyturf bloom?

Give variegated lilyturf 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 variegated lilyturf normally bloom?