Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Striped-leaf Amaryllis, Brazilian Amaryllis, Scarlet Amaryllis (Hippeastrum striatum).

More about evergreen amaryllis

About Evergreen Amaryllis

Hippeastrum striatum · also called Striped-leaf Amaryllis, Brazilian Amaryllis · flowering

Hippeastrum striatum is a Brazilian species notable for remaining evergreen in warm conditions rather than going dormant like most hippeastrums. Produces vivid orange-red flowers striped with deeper veins in spring. Well-suited to bright interiors where a dry rest period is difficult to enforce. Toxic to pets due to lycorine alkaloids in the bulb and plant.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Infrequent flowering: Occurs when the plant does not experience sufficient temperature variation or bright light to trigger bud initiation. A cooler, brighter winter period (13–15°C) often helps.

The reasons evergreen amaryllis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming evergreen 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 evergreen 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 evergreen amaryllis to flower

Maximise sun. Give evergreen 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 evergreen amaryllis and get the feeding right with the evergreen 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

Evergreen 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 evergreen amaryllis care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Evergreen Amaryllis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my evergreen amaryllis flower?

Evergreen 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 evergreen amaryllis bloom?

Give evergreen 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 evergreen amaryllis normally bloom?