Amorous about Amaryllis

A few faithful readers, including Tabby at Crooked Heart, and several people without blogs, asked some questions about bulbs, in particular amaryllis, and I thought I'd quickly put together a post to help those who have either never been seduced by these glorious plants, or else have had trouble with rebloom.

First question I'll answer came from Joy, who doesn't do bulbs inside because she worries about her cats getting into them. Amaryllis ARE toxic, but I swear that our cats know that; in all the years I've grown amaryllis, and in all the cats we've had, I've never had problems with anyone ingesting a toxic plant. I think cats are smarter than dogs when it comes to avoiding things that will make them sick. The Cat Fanciers Association has an extensive list of plants toxic to cats, but it doesn't specify what parts are toxic: amaryllis bulbs are especially toxic, but I've never had a cat try to do anything with the plants except dig at the dirt. Bad kitties.


Amaryllis are deliciously easy to grow because the bulbs don't need prechilling: you buy them, plant them in a properly sized container (about an inch wider in diameter than the bulb) with about 1/3 the bulb sticking out of the soil. Water well, and then wait: times from planting to bloom vary, and I don't know if that's cultivar-related, or depending on the treatment they've received before we buy them. I planted four bulbs of different varieties all on the same day (5 November): two have put up stems and buds more than a foot tall, one is getting started, and one's still thinking about it. Dee mentioned hers were sulking--I remember one I bought one year that I planted in early November and it just sat and sulked until February, when it erupted into a splendid plant, putting up two stems of amazing flowers. So I hope Dee's are worth the wait too.


Our kitchen is quite warm with the woodstove, so I often put a bulb or two out there to inspire them to grow well. The secret is to keep them well watered--moist, but not soggy.

I find once they get their stalks well up and the buds expanded, it's very quick for the flowers to open. Although I can't find the labeled photos from this 'Sydney' from two years ago, I remember taking photos of the flower buds every hour or so until the first flower was well opened.

So once they've finished flowering, what then? Cut off the flowerstalk once the flowers are all withered, leaving just a short stub at the bulb end, and let the leaves grow large and vigourous. They're making food for the bulb, so that it can create flowers next year. Once mild weather comes and the risk of frost is past, you can put them outdoors for the summer. Some people bury plant pot and all, but I sit mine on the back deck. You have to remember to water and feed them regularly through the summer months, too.

Next September, before you have a frost, cut off the tired, yellowed leaves and store bulb, pot and all in a cool, dark location. Our cellar is perfect for this, we've found. Do NOT water or feed the bulbs during this period. Don't let them freeze, don't store in a fridge or other location near fresh fruit: as with tulips and other bulbs, embryonic flowers will be killed off by the gases emitted by ripening fruit. I wonder how many people forget that, and rest their bulbs in a root cellar beside a bag of apples?

After 6-8 weeks, bring the bulb up, repot in fresh potting medium, water and fertilize, and wait. You should start to see regrowth in about 6 weeks or so--remember, these are plants, and they don't read instructions; some will start growing more quickly, like those that are almost in bloom here, while others meditate for a while longer, like the one recalcitrant bulb I have.

Finally, Shady Gardener asked what that strange photo was of at the beginning of my previous post. It's a Christmas ornament made of beads and pins that I purchased at a craft fair a few years ago. I absolutely love it, and actually keep it hanging in my office yearround, for an instant rainbow. I'm trying to do the Macro Master Class that David Perry, awesome photographer, inspired many of us to try; my only problem being that my Mason jars aren't quite big enough so that I was a bit too close. But it worked for me anyway, and looked like beaded fireworks.