Florist’s Amaryllis
Hippeastrum hybrids (AMARYLLIDACEAE)
Planting and Growing Florist’s Amaryllis
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow florist’s amaryllis in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of florist’s amaryllis
- Season of bloom and planting time for florist’s amaryllis
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for florist’s amaryllis
- When, how deep, and where to plant florist’s amaryllis
- How to plant florist’s amaryllis
- Watering, fertilizing, care and pests or diseases of florist’s amaryllis
- After-bloom care of forced amaryllis
- Landscape and indoor uses of florist’s amaryllis
- Comments about florist’s amaryllis and its features
Growing Florist’s Amaryllis
Tropical bulb. Deciduous or evergreen. About 80 species. Stands 8–24 in. (20–60 cm) tall. Broad, straplike, arching, midlength green leaves.
See also True Amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna). Butterfly Amaryllis (Hippeastrum papilio) is a closely related tropical species.
Florist’s Amaryllis are popular tropical bulbs for forcing, a fast-and-easy way to produce blooms on demand. For full instructions on the process with a step-by-step demonstration, see: How to Plant Forced Tropicals and Evergreens.
Florist's Amaryllis Planting and Care Guide
Flowers
Winter–spring indoors, spring–summer outdoors. Orange, pink, red, white. One to five usually flared, trumpet-shaped, occasionally fragrant flowers, 5–10 in. (13–25 cm) wide, on a tall single or double stalk.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 7–11; ground hardy, zones 9–10.
Soil Type and Fertility
Well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–6.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Autumn–winter in full sun. Space 1–2 ft. (30–60 cm) apart, slightly above soil level. In containers sized at least 2 in. (50 mm) wider than bulb, one bulb to a container, or several in very large containers.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist early spring–autumn; avoid overwatering. Fertilize bimonthly until buds form. Deadhead flowers and withered stalks. Mulch. Propagate by offsets, seed. Allow bulbs to dry, cure for 1 month after lifting.
Forced amaryllis should be transplanted to soil after blooms fade. Cut the flower stalks at their juncture with the bulb—avoiding any early leaf sprouts—and transplant the bulb and roots to soil , either in the garden or in a container. Harden, and place the bulb in a full-sun location. Allow its foliage to sprout and grow, returning lost nutrients to the bulb.
In early autumn, force dormancy by stopping all watering and let the soil dry completely. The bulb’s foliage will yellow, die, and drop. Lift the bulb from garden soil or store potted bulbs in a cool, dark place for 1–2 months.
Bulbs forced over water may not bloom again until their second season due to severely depleted nutrients.
Avoid forcing dormancy with true amaryllis or tropical amaryllis species, such as butterfly amaryllis (Hippeastrum papilio), maintaining normal care until they bloom again.
Lifting and Storing
If deciduous, dark, 50–60°F (10–16°C), in net bag or open basket of dry peat moss; if evergreen, in porous container of dampened peat moss.
About This Species
Good choice for beds, containers in indoor, tropical gardens. Good for cutting, garden gifts. Deer, rodent susceptible.