Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Amaryllis bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Amaryllis, Dutch amaryllis, Knight's star lily, Barbados lily, Fire lily (Hippeastrum hybrids).

More about amaryllis

About Amaryllis

Hippeastrum hybrids · also called Amaryllis, Dutch amaryllis · flowering

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids) is a tender bulb prized for huge trumpet flowers on tall leafless stalks, popular for winter forcing indoors. It wants bright light, warm rooms, and sparing watering until growth starts. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs, so keep bulbs and plants out of reach.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Tall stalk but no leaves or flowers: Bulb may be undersized, exhausted, or stored too warm. Give bright light and consistent feeding after blooming so the bulb can recharge, and provide a proper cool dormancy before forcing again.

The reasons amaryllis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming amaryllis traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding amaryllis a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get amaryllis to flower

Maximise sun. Give amaryllis the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for amaryllis and get the feeding right with the amaryllis fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Amaryllis flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full amaryllis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Amaryllis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my amaryllis flower?

Amaryllis blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make amaryllis bloom?

Give amaryllis the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does amaryllis normally bloom?