Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Voodoo Lily bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called voodoo lily, monarch of the east, red calla (Sauromatum venosum).

More about voodoo lily

About Voodoo Lily

Sauromatum venosum · also called voodoo lily, monarch of the east · flowering

Voodoo lily (Sauromatum venosum) is a curious tuberous aroid that flowers without soil or water from a dry tuber, throwing up a mottled maroon-and-yellow spathe with a strong carrion scent to attract fly pollinators. Afterward a single tropical-looking, deeply divided leaf unfurls on a snake-skin-patterned stem before summer dormancy.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Strong carrion odour at bloom: The flower emits a powerful rotting smell for a day or two to attract pollinating flies. Bloom outdoors or in a ventilated space; the scent then fades.

The reasons voodoo lily isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming voodoo lily 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 voodoo lily 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 voodoo lily to flower

Maximise sun. Give voodoo lily 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 voodoo lily and get the feeding right with the voodoo lily 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

Voodoo Lily 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 voodoo lily care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Voodoo Lily blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my voodoo lily flower?

Voodoo Lily 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 voodoo lily bloom?

Give voodoo lily 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 voodoo lily normally bloom?