Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Whorled Solomon's Seal bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Whorled Solomon's Seal, Whorled-leaf Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum verticillatum).

More about whorled solomon's seal

About Whorled Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum verticillatum · also called Whorled Solomon's Seal, Whorled-leaf Solomon's Seal · flowering

A stately European and Asian woodland perennial growing 60–100 cm tall, distinguished by narrow leaves arranged in characteristic whorls of 3–6 along the stem. Dusky pink to greenish-white, tubular flowers hang below the whorls in early summer and are followed by small spherical red berries. Best grown in a cool, shaded border with reliably moist soil.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons whorled solomon's seal isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming whorled solomon's seal 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 whorled solomon's seal 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 whorled solomon's seal to flower

Maximise sun. Give whorled solomon's seal 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 whorled solomon's seal and get the feeding right with the whorled solomon's seal 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

Whorled Solomon's Seal 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 whorled solomon's seal care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Whorled Solomon's Seal blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my whorled solomon's seal flower?

Whorled Solomon's Seal 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 whorled solomon's seal bloom?

Give whorled solomon's seal 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 whorled solomon's seal normally bloom?