Amaryllis 'Picotee' (Picotee Amaryllis) care

Light

Bright but filtered. Amaryllis 'Picotee' burns within days in unfiltered south-facing summer sun, and stops growing within months in deep shade. Bright light with some direct sun keeps the stalk sturdy and the thin red margin sharp. In dim conditions the scape etiolates and the picotee edge can fade. If you only have a south window, set the plant back 1.5 m or hang a sheer curtain — both knock the intensity down into the right range.

Watering

Watering amaryllis 'picotee': sparingly until growth starts, then when top 2-3 cm of soil is dry. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water lightly after potting, increasing as growth advances. Keep evenly moist but never soggy around the exposed bulb; overwatering a dormant bulb invites rot.

Soil and pot

Amaryllis 'Picotee' grows best in rich, free-draining potting mix. A loam-based or quality peat-free compost with grit or perlite drains sharply. Pot snugly with the upper third of the bulb proud of the soil to prevent basal rot. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Amaryllis 'Picotee' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 18-24°C (65-75°F). Average indoor humidity is fine; no misting needed. The water-storing bulb is untroubled by dry heated air, so blooming is unaffected in typical homes. If you keep the room above 18 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed amaryllis 'picotee' sparingly. After leaves emerge, feed every 2-3 weeks with a balanced or potassium-rich liquid feed through spring and summer to rebuild the bulb. Stop feeding as foliage yellows before the dormant rest. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on amaryllis 'picotee' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Weak, leaning stalk — Too little light stretches the heavy-headed scape; site it in the brightest spot, rotate daily, and stake the stem if it starts to tip.
• No second-year flowers — A depleted bulb produces leaves only; feed and grow the foliage through summer, then give a dry, dark 8-10 week dormancy before restarting watering.
• Bulb rot — Burying the bulb fully or overwatering before rooting rots the basal plate; expose the top third and water sparingly until growth begins.
• Red blotch (Stagonospora) — Red streaks and scarring on leaves, stalk and bulb mark this fungus; cut away affected tissue, keep the bulb dry, and improve ventilation.

Propagation

Detach offset bulblets at repotting and grow on for 2-3 years to flowering size. Twin-scaling keeps the cultivar true; seed will not reliably reproduce this named hybrid. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Amaryllis 'Picotee' is toxic to pets. Toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA (listed as Amaryllis / Hippeastrum). The toxic principles are lycorine and other Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, concentrated in the bulb; ingestion causes vomiting, hypersalivation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and depression, with tremors and cardiac arrhythmias possible in large amounts. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Amaryllis 'Picotee' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of amaryllis 'picotee' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Amaryllis 'Picotee' watering schedule
• Amaryllis 'Picotee' light requirements
• Best soil mix for amaryllis 'picotee'
• Amaryllis 'Picotee' fertilizing guide
• When to repot amaryllis 'picotee'
• How to propagate amaryllis 'picotee'
• Amaryllis 'Picotee' growth rate & size
• Amaryllis 'Picotee' cold hardiness
• Amaryllis 'Picotee' temperature & humidity
• Is amaryllis 'picotee' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is amaryllis 'picotee' toxic to cats?
• Is amaryllis 'picotee' toxic to dogs?
• Getting amaryllis 'picotee' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Amaryllis 'Picotee' qualifies for 3 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Amaryllis 'Picotee' is also commonly called Picotee Amaryllis.

• Peace lily care — light, water and common problems
• Bird of paradise care — light, water and common problems
• Hoya care — light, water and common problems
• All 1284 plant care guides in the Growli library