Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - September 02, 2015

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Blue mistflowers fail to bloom in Austin, TX
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

We live in Austin, Texas and we have several blue mistflower plants that are not flowering. In a previous year we had lovely flowers but last year and this year we have no flowers in spite of the fact that the plants have lush branch and leaf growth. What should we do to encourage flowering?

ANSWER:


The question to ask yourself is;  What has changed from when the plants flowered to the present?
Are the plants getting more or less water now, or are they getting more fertilizer now.

There are two plants in our Native Plant Database with the common name blue mist flower;  Chromolaena odorata (Jack in the bush) and Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue mistflower).

I'm not sure which plant we are talking about here, but there are plants whose flowering is inhibited by an imbalance in the the nutrients that are available in the soil, particularly the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P). Too much nitrogen may result in poor flowering. If the plants have been getting regular lawn fertilizer which often has a high N/P ratio, this could account for the lack of flowering.

Lets look at fertilizer a bit more closely.
The most common elements that are found in fertilizers are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), and fertilizers containing these three elements are termed complete fertilizers. Fertilizers differ in the relative amount of these elements that they contain, and this information is found on the label of the fertilizer container (bag, bottle, etc.) It is represented by three numbers eg 1-1-1, or 5-10-5, or 3-1-2, which are the percentages of the elements; N, P, and K in that order. 
This link to  Central Texas Gardening has some good tips about proper use of fertilizers .

 

From the Image Gallery


Blue mistflower
Chromolaena odorata

Blue mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum

More Wildflowers Questions

Fertilizing hayfield with wildflowers in Brenham TX
September 20, 2010 - I have property near Brenham, TX that produces wild bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers each year. I would like to fertilize the pastures to help with hay production (the grass is ha...
view the full question and answer

Bluebonnets in Colorado mountains
April 21, 2007 - Will Bluebonnets grow up in Colorado in the mountains?
view the full question and answer

Mixed wildflower seeds in pots in Houston
March 02, 2010 - Hello - I live in Houston, TX and was recently given a few seed packets of mixed wildflowers. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment and I'm limited to a large balcony with a container garden. The ba...
view the full question and answer

Castillea indivisa as Texas native Indian Paintbrush
February 05, 2007 - Upon researching the Texas Indian-Paintbrush I have satisfactorially come up with the latin name Castilleja foliolosa, funny thing is on the plants.usda.gov site it shows that this plant grows ...
view the full question and answer

Smarty Plants on CRABGRASS
August 23, 2005 - I live in Indiana and purchased native wildflower seeds from the soil and conservation district in my area. I completly tilled the 10x70 foot patch and planted the seeds as directed. Some of them are ...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.