Natural change

Flowers fading after blooming

Flowers fade and drop once their bloom is over, while the leaves stay healthy.

What you'll see

• Flowers fade, wilt, brown and drop after blooming for their usual time.
• Leaves stay firm and green, and the plant keeps growing.
• Seed pods or dry flower stalks may form where the flowers were.

Why it happens

Each flower has a natural lifespan. After the bloom, the plant puts its energy into leaves, roots or seeds.

What to do

1. Snip off faded flowers and their stalks to tidy the plant.
2. On moth orchids, cut the spent spike just above the second joint below the old flowers, or at the base if it dries.
3. Keep caring for it normally; many plants need cooler nights or shorter days to bloom again.

Keep it from coming back

• Keep flowering plants cool and away from drafts and heaters so blooms last longer.
• Remove faded flowers regularly, unless you want seeds or seed heads.

Read more

• Dormant or dead? Plant dormancy

Sources

• Kindwise plant.health library: Finished flowering period
• RHS: Deadheading plants
• University of Maryland Extension: Care of Phalaenopsis orchids

General guidance, not a diagnosis. For valuable, edible or outdoor crops, check with a local extension service or plant expert. Use any product exactly as its label says, and keep children and pets away while it dries.