Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Weeping silver pear bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Weeping silver pear, willow-leaved pear (Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula').

More about weeping silver pear

About Weeping silver pear

Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula' · also called Weeping silver pear, willow-leaved pear · flowering

An elegant small deciduous tree producing long, narrow, willow-like leaves covered in silver-white down that glistens in sunlight. Creamy-white flowers appear in spring, followed by small, hard, inedible fruits. The gracefully weeping habit makes it a sculptural focal point for borders and formal gardens. AGM holder; drought-tolerant once established.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons weeping silver pear isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming weeping silver pear 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 weeping silver pear 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 weeping silver pear to flower

Maximise sun. Give weeping silver pear 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 weeping silver pear and get the feeding right with the weeping silver pear 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

Weeping silver pear 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 weeping silver pear care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Weeping silver pear blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my weeping silver pear flower?

Weeping silver pear 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 weeping silver pear bloom?

Give weeping silver pear 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 weeping silver pear normally bloom?