I Have Had A Wisteria Vine And Lilac Bush For…
Alisha Asked
I have had a wisteria vine and lilac bush for seven to eight years and neither have bloomed. I was wondering why?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Alisha in Kentucky: There are a few possible reasons why your wisteria and lilac are not blooming. They both require full sun so if they are not getting a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day this could be the problem. Otherwise, let’s start with the wisteria; these vines can take up to seven years to bloom. This is especially true for both Asian and native species. Cultivars tend to flower sooner so depending on which one you are growing and the age of your vine, this might be a reason for lack of blooms. Wisteria are really tough plants and opposite of what we typically think of in terms of getting our plants to bloom; they tend to bloom when they are stressed, so severe pruning can encourage to them to bloom. Too much fertilizer is a bad thing for these vines, especially fertilizer high in nitrogen, because it encourages leafy growth instead of blooms. As for your lilac, these also do not bloom as young plants and it can take them at least three years before they produce their first flowers. Depending on the age/size of the plant you purchased, this may be the case. If you planted it bare-root it could be even longer before you see any flowers. Over-feeding our plants can also cause them not to bloom. If you are fertilizing your shrubs, be sure to follow recommended rate applications for the product you are using. I assume you have not pruned your lilacs; pruning too late in the summer can remove flower buds for the following season. Hopefully this gives you some ideas of why your plants are not blooming.
