Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Wild nemesia bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Wild nemesia, Shrubby nemesia, Purple nemesia (Nemesia fruticans).

More about wild nemesia

About Wild nemesia

Nemesia fruticans · also called Wild nemesia, Shrubby nemesia · flowering

Wild nemesia is a perennial subshrub native to South Africa's Cape region, producing a generous succession of small two-lipped flowers in lilac, purple, pink, and white over a long season from spring to autumn. More heat- and drought-tolerant than annual Nemesia species, it is an excellent choice for sunny borders, rockeries, and Mediterranean-style plantings.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Legginess after flowering: Plants become straggly and woody after prolonged flowering. Cut back by one-half to two-thirds after each main flush to stimulate fresh compact regrowth and further blooming.

The reasons wild nemesia isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming wild nemesia 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 wild nemesia 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 wild nemesia to flower

Maximise sun. Give wild nemesia 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 wild nemesia and get the feeding right with the wild nemesia 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

Wild nemesia 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 wild nemesia care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Wild nemesia blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my wild nemesia flower?

Wild nemesia 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 wild nemesia bloom?

Give wild nemesia 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 wild nemesia normally bloom?