Amaryllis · Hippeastrum
An amaryllis grows from a big bulb into a tall stem topped with some of the largest flowers you can grow indoors. It is one of the most rewarding winter plants, and the bulb can bloom again for years.
Most bloom six to ten weeks after the bulb is planted, and each stem carries several flowers that open over a couple of weeks. A big bulb often sends up a second stem.
Bright light and just enough water
Keep it in a bright window and water only when the top inch of soil is dry. Until you see a green stem growing, it needs very little water at all. Wet soil around the bulb causes rot.
If yours is a wax-coated bulb with no soil, it needs no water at all. It carries everything it needs for one bloom.
Finding the right spot
More light makes a shorter, sturdier stem.
- Put it in your brightest window while the stem is growing.
- Turn the pot a quarter turn every day or two. The stem leans toward the light and can tip over if you don’t.
- Once the flowers open, move it out of direct sun and into a cooler spot, around 60–65°F. The blooms last much longer.
- Tall stems can be staked with a slim bamboo cane and soft ties.
Everyday care
Amaryllis
Hippeastrum
- Light
- Bright light, including direct sun, while growing. Bright, indirect light while in bloom.
- Water
- Sparingly until growth starts, then when the top inch is dry. Water the soil, not the bulb.
- Temperature
- 65–75°F while growing. A little cooler while blooming makes the flowers last.
- Feeding
- None until it finishes blooming. Then half-strength houseplant food every two weeks while the leaves grow.
- Spent flowers
- Snip each flower off as it fades. Cut the whole stem near the bulb when the last one is done.
- Leaves
- Keep the leaves growing after it blooms. They feed the bulb for next year’s flowers.
Toxic to cats and dogs, especially the bulb. Eating it can cause vomiting, drooling and stomach pain. If any part is eaten, call your veterinarian.
Blooming it again next winter
If your amaryllis is in soil, you can save the bulb. (Wax-coated bulbs are made for one bloom and usually don’t rebloom.)
- After blooming: cut off the flower stem, keep it in a sunny window, water when dry and feed every couple of weeks.
- Late April or May: once frost danger is past in Johnston County, set the pot outside. Start in shade and move it into morning sun over a week or two.
- Late August or September: bring it in, stop watering and let the leaves yellow and wither.
- Rest: cut off the dry leaves and keep the bulb, in its pot, somewhere cool, dark and dry (around 50–55°F) for eight to ten weeks.
- Wake it up: repot in fresh soil if needed, put it in a bright window, water once, and wait for the green tip. Blooms follow in six to ten weeks.
The eastern North Carolina year
What to do through our Johnston County seasons.
| Season | What to do |
|---|---|
| WinterDecember–February | Bloom time. Bright window while growing, cooler spot once open, turn it often. |
| SpringMarch–May | Leaves grow and feed the bulb. Sunny window, water and feed. Outside after frost danger passes. |
| SummerJune–August | Outdoors in morning sun, watered and fed. Bring it in by early September. |
| FallSeptember–November | Dry rest in a cool, dark spot for eight to ten weeks, then wake it up for holiday or late-winter blooms. |
Repotting
An amaryllis likes a snug pot, only about an inch wider than the bulb, so it needs repotting only every three or four years. Do it when you wake the bulb from its rest. Leave the top third of the bulb above the soil.
Quick fixes
Stem leaning or falling over
Reaching for light. Turn it daily, move it brighter and stake it.
Only leaves, no flower
The bulb didn’t store enough energy, or skipped its rest. Feed it well next summer and give it the full rest.
Soft, mushy bulb
Rot from too much water. Cut back on water; a badly rotted bulb won’t recover.
Flowers fading quickly
Too warm or in hot sun. Move it to a cooler spot out of direct sun.
Red streaks on the bulb or leaves
A common fungus. Remove damaged leaves and keep water off the bulb.
Nothing happening for weeks
Some bulbs are slow. Keep it warm and bright, and water only lightly until growth starts.
Common questions
Do you water a wax amaryllis?
No. Wax-coated bulbs need no water or soil for their one bloom.
How long does an amaryllis bloom?
The flowers on each stem last two to three weeks, longer in a cool room.
Can I plant amaryllis outside in North Carolina?
In much of eastern NC, many amaryllis can live in the ground in a sheltered, well-drained spot with mulch, though a hard winter can kill them. Keeping it in a pot is safer.
What do I do with my amaryllis after it blooms?
Cut the flower stem off, keep the leaves growing in sun, and follow the reblooming steps above.
More plant care guides
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Read the guide →Easter Lily
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Read the guide →About pets and plants: The pet notes in this guide are general plant knowledge from our florists, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet chews or swallows any part of a plant, contact a licensed veterinarian right away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a person swallows any part of a plant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”1 Corinthians 3:7
Questions about your plant?
Call or text us. We are always glad to help, whether you bought it from us or not.
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