Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Court Amaryllis, Forest Hippeastrum, Red Forest Amaryllis (Hippeastrum aulicum).

More about forest lily amaryllis

About Forest Lily Amaryllis

Hippeastrum aulicum · also called Court Amaryllis, Forest Hippeastrum · flowering

Hippeastrum aulicum is a forest-dwelling Brazilian species producing deep crimson-red flowers with a greenish throat in winter or early spring. One of the species central to early amaryllis hybridisation. Grows in dappled forest light and tolerates lower light than most Hippeastrum. Toxic to pets due to lycorine and alkaloids throughout the plant.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Low flowering: This species needs a clear cool, dry dormancy of at least 8 weeks to reliably set flower buds. Without it, plants produce foliage only.

The reasons forest lily amaryllis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming forest lily 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 forest lily 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 forest lily amaryllis to flower

Maximise sun. Give forest lily 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 forest lily amaryllis and get the feeding right with the forest lily 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

Forest Lily 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 forest lily amaryllis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Forest Lily Amaryllis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my forest lily amaryllis flower?

Forest Lily 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 forest lily amaryllis bloom?

Give forest lily 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 forest lily amaryllis normally bloom?