Amaryllis
Hippeastrum
Amaryllis blooms from March through April.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Amaryllis
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 8–11. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 8 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Amaryllis
Amaryllis is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically November or December across zones 8 to 11. It pays you back the following March to April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 9 in November.
Comes in 7 varieties across 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Amaryllis
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Toxic to dogs, cats, horses and people; all parts are poisonous, the bulb most of all. The toxins are lycorine and related alkaloids. Eating it brings vomiting and drooling. per ASPCA
Worth knowing
The holiday 'amaryllis' is really Hippeastrum, from Central and South America, not the true South African genus Amaryllis (the belladonna lily). Gift labels almost always call it amaryllis anyway. per NC State
How deep to plant
In a pot, leave the top one-third to one-half of the bulb above the soil so the neck cannot rot. Planted in mild-zone ground, set it deeper, barely covered. per Clemson
Forced for holiday bloom
Pot the bulb in fall and it flowers in 4 to 8 weeks, which is how growers time it to the December holidays. per Clemson
Why it won't rebloom
The usual reason a bulb never blooms again is too little light, not feeding tricks. Bright light plus a cool dormant rest are the two levers that matter. per University of Minnesota
Rot is an overwatering problem
Bulb and root rot is almost always overwatering, not a caught infection. A well-drained mix and letting the soil dry between waterings prevent the rot that kills the bulb. per NC State
Bulb is toxic and exposed
The bulb is the most poisonous part, and the usual potting method leaves it half out of the soil, so keep it well out of reach of pets and children. per ASPCA
What pairs well with Amaryllis
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
False Indigo
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Agave
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Aloe
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; orange sits close to red on the wheel.
Pampas Grass
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Blue Oat Grass
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Japanese Forest Grass
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Gardenia
Shares part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Autumn Fern
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
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