Amaryllis 'Red Lion' (Red Amaryllis) care

Light

Amaryllis 'Red Lion' is what florists mean by "bright spot, no direct sun" — close enough to a south or east window to feel the brightness, with a sheer curtain or a few feet of distance keeping the sun off the leaves. Give the brightest light possible, including some direct sun, once the bud emerges. Strong light keeps the flower stalk sturdy; in dim rooms the stem stretches and topples. A phone lux-meter at the leaf surface should read 1,500-3,000 lux at noon.

Watering

Water amaryllis 'red lion' sparingly until growth starts, then when top 2-3 cm of soil is dry. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Water lightly after potting, increasing as the leaf and stalk grow. Keep just moist, never soggy, around the exposed bulb shoulder; overwatering a dormant bulb rots it fast.

Soil and pot

Amaryllis 'Red Lion' grows best in rich, free-draining potting mix. Use a quality loam-based or peat-free compost with added grit or perlite for drainage. Pot snugly, leaving the top third of the bulb above the soil line to prevent 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 'Red Lion' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 18-24°C (65-75°F). Ordinary household humidity is ample; no misting needed. The bulb stores its own water reserves, so dry indoor winter air poses little problem for flowering. 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 'red lion' sparingly. Once leaves appear, feed every 2-3 weeks with a balanced or high-potassium liquid feed through spring and summer to recharge the bulb. Stop feeding when foliage yellows ahead of the dormant rest period. 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 'red lion' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Tall stalk flops over — Low light makes the heavy-headed scape stretch and lean; grow in the brightest spot, rotate the pot daily, and stake tall stems if needed.
• 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.
• Bulb rot — Burying the bulb fully or overwatering before roots form rots the basal plate; plant with the top third exposed and water sparingly until growth begins.
• Red blotch (Stagonospora) — Red streaks and scarring on leaves, stalk and bulb signal this fungal disease; remove affected tissue, improve airflow, and avoid wetting the bulb.

Propagation

Detach offset bulblets from the mother bulb at repotting and grow on; they take 2-3 years to reach flowering size. Twin-scaling is used commercially, while seed does not come true to 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 'Red Lion' 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, most concentrated in the bulb; ingestion causes vomiting, hypersalivation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and lethargy, 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 'Red Lion' deep-dive guides

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

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

Featured in these plant shortlists

Amaryllis 'Red Lion' 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 'Red Lion' is also commonly called Red 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