Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Yellow Pimpernel bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Yellow Pimpernel, Wood Pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum).

More about yellow pimpernel

About Yellow Pimpernel

Lysimachia nemorum · also called Yellow Pimpernel, Wood Pimpernel · flowering

Lysimachia nemorum is a low-growing, evergreen creeping perennial native to damp deciduous woodlands and shaded streamsides across the British Isles and western Europe. It thrives in moist, humus-rich soil in partial to deep shade — the key care point is that it needs consistent moisture and will not tolerate drying out. The bright star-shaped yellow flowers, about 8 mm across, appear from May to July. It likely contains saponins typical of the Primulaceae family and should be treated as mildly toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons yellow pimpernel isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming yellow pimpernel 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 yellow pimpernel 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 yellow pimpernel to flower

Maximise sun. Give yellow pimpernel 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 yellow pimpernel and get the feeding right with the yellow pimpernel 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

Yellow Pimpernel 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 yellow pimpernel care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Yellow Pimpernel blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my yellow pimpernel flower?

Yellow Pimpernel 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 yellow pimpernel bloom?

Give yellow pimpernel 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 yellow pimpernel normally bloom?