Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Red Amaryllis (Hippeastrum 'Red Lion').

More about amaryllis 'red lion'

About Amaryllis 'Red Lion'

Hippeastrum 'Red Lion' · also called Red Amaryllis · flowering

'Red Lion' is the classic deep-red amaryllis, sending up a tall hollow stalk topped with two to four large velvety trumpet flowers from a single fat bulb. Easy to force indoors in winter, it wants bright light, a snug pot, sparing water until growth starts, and a dry dormancy to rebloom.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Leaves but no flowers (rebloom failure): Skipping the recharge means a depleted bulb; feed and grow the foliage all summer, then give a dry, dark 8-10 week rest before restarting to set a new flower.

The reasons amaryllis 'red lion' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming amaryllis 'red lion' 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 'red lion' 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 'red lion' to flower

Maximise sun. Give amaryllis 'red lion' 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 'red lion' and get the feeding right with the amaryllis 'red lion' 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 'Red Lion' 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 'red lion' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Amaryllis 'Red Lion' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my amaryllis 'red lion' flower?

Amaryllis 'Red Lion' 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 'red lion' bloom?

Give amaryllis 'red lion' 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 'red lion' normally bloom?