Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Banded Amaryllis, Striped Hippeastrum, Peruvian Lily (Hippeastrum vittatum).

More about striped amaryllis

About Striped Amaryllis

Hippeastrum vittatum · also called Banded Amaryllis, Striped Hippeastrum · flowering

Hippeastrum vittatum is a South American bulb from the Andes producing large white or pale pink flowers striped with bold red or crimson veins in winter or spring. One of the original species used to breed modern hybrid amaryllis. Popular as a forced indoor bulb. Toxic to cats, dogs, and horses due to lycorine and alkaloids concentrated in the bulb.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Red blotch (Stagonospora curtisii): Causes red streaks or lesions on leaves, flower stalk, and bulb scales. Buy from reputable sources, use fresh compost, and remove infected material. A bordeaux mixture drench may help in severe cases.

The reasons striped amaryllis isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming striped 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 striped 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 striped amaryllis to flower

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

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

Striped Amaryllis blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my striped amaryllis flower?

Striped 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 striped amaryllis bloom?

Give striped 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 striped amaryllis normally bloom?