The Mighty Amaryllis
It might seem to be too early to be thinking about the upcoming holiday season, but if you want to grow a spectacular blooming plant for the Christmas table, you need to spend a few moments in holiday time, meaning start planting your amaryllis bulbs now for blooms 6-10 weeks from now. If you haven’t grown them before, it’s time to fall in love with the mighty Amaryllis. Rivaling the poinsettia as a floral choice for the holiday season, this bulb produces large bell-shaped flowers that last for weeks. Plus, it is an easy, easy easy plant to grow.
Native to Peru and South Africa, the name Amaryllis comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means "to sparkle." Hello holiday decorating! Bulbs were brought to Europe in the 1700s and have been known to grow for up to 75 years.
While the most popular flower color choice is red, flowers may also be in shades of pink or white. Flowers can be quite large, 4 to 10 inches in size, and can be either single or double in form.
Most people treat their amaryllis bulbs as a one-time deal and throw them away when they’re done flowering. But, as with any bulb, they just get bigger, and more spectacular with time, producing more flower stems each year.
Unlike some other bulbs, amaryllis do not require a rest or dormant period. They will bloom again if allowed to continue to grow. You will just need to make them go dormant if you want to try and time them to flower during the holidays again next year. Otherwise, treat them as a houseplant with regular watering and bright light. They can even be put outside on the patio for the summer to grow big and strong.
Amaryllis are the star performers of the bulb world. Our bulbs are top sized, the highest grade possible, and ready to plant now. These bulbs are monsters and will reward you with at least two stems full of flowers. Buy a few bulbs and stagger the planting dates to enjoy blooms from November to April. And if they don’t quite bloom on schedule at Christmas time, who cares? January can be pretty bleak and could use a little color anyway.
