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Like seeing an old friend, in an unexpected place, our winter Amaryllis bravely blooms again in the midst of early summer perennials. How often do we assume that the stately Amaryllis we buy for a holiday gift or decoration is simply a disposable house plant?
As their pale leaves stretch and flop in January, most of would gladly chuck the whole thing once its blooms have finished. But a gardener’s patience is usually rewarded, and so it is for that Amaryllis bulb that we care for through the winter.
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Bulbs always have some months of awkward growth when their leaves fortify the bulb for the next season’s bloom. You probably are wondering what to do with the floppy foliage of spring’s daffodils right about now, just as we’re still letting it rest in annoying disarray.
An Amaryllis is no different. If you allow its leaves to grow for several months, and then force it to go dormant; it will reward you with even more blooms the following year. And like other bulbs, Amaryllis form offsets as they mature. Read that, “Free bulbs!”
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Amaryllis bulbs, freshly dug up from the garden last December. After allowing these to rest for several weeks, I potted these up to bring them back into growth.
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Amaryllis, more properly called Hippeastrum reginae, come to us from the southern hemisphere. That is one reason they are so popular during our winter; they still believe it is early summer, and time to bloom! And however huge and exotic an Amaryllis may appear, they are very easy to grow. All they require is water, light, and space to grow.
Once the weather warms enough and frosts have finished in mid-spring, simply plant the Amaryllis into good garden soil in full or partial sun. Leave any remaining leaves intact. They will soon be replaced with sturdier, brighter leaves anyway.
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Hippeastrum ‘Tres Chic’
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Planting depth depends on your plan. If you plan to bring your Amaryllis back inside in August, cut away the foliage, and let it rest dormant until late autumn; go ahead and plant it so the leaves emerge right at soil level. When potted, most Amaryllis are planted shallow. So dig a hole large enough to accept the root mass, and plant it only slightly deeper than it was in its pot.
If you live in Zone 7 or south, chances are you may be able to leave your Amaryllis outside permanently. Check the zone of your bulb to make sure it is hardy to at least Zone 8. Then plant the bulb a few inches deeper than it was in its pot, and mulch with another inch or so of whatever mulch you use.
Like with so many bulbs, you will likely forget where you planted the Amaryllis once it goes dormant. And then one early summer day, “Surprise!” Your Amaryllis will sprout thick, sturdy stalks topped with large buds, and you will be thrilled with its beautiful blooms.
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H. ‘Tres Chic’ in bud in late April
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Plant in rich, well drained soil. Bulbs don’t like to sit in wet, soupy soil; especially when they are dormant. I like to add a little Espoma Bulb Tone, dug into the surrounding soil, when I plant the Amaryllis out in a perennial bed. Use a little when you pot up a new Amaryllis, too.
Since Amaryllis are poisonous, they won’t be bothered by grazing rabbits or deer. Finally, a lily we can grow that won’t become ‘deer candy!’ Once their blooms have finished, cut back the bloom stalk, and let the leaves grow on. They won’t require much space, and will provide structural foliage during the rest of the season for whatever else you have going on in that perennial bed.
I find an Amaryllis’s summer blooms to be even more spectacular than its winter show. We may appreciate them more in winter, when most flowers have finished for the year. But little else grab’s one’s attention quite like the elegant trumpet shaped blossoms of an Amaryllis.
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Woodland Gnome 2017
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Forest Garden 