Amaryllis Bulbs

What amaryllis bulbs are

The amaryllis sold for the holidays is a big, round bulb that grows indoors in winter. It sends up a thick stalk, sometimes two or three, topped with trumpet-shaped flowers in reds, whites, pinks and stripes. You don't need a garden for it. You need a pot, a warm room and a sunny window.

The name is a little tangled, and I'll admit that's the part that made me look it up. The University of Wisconsin Extension explains that the common amaryllis is a South American plant in the genus Hippeastrum. The true amaryllis, also called the belladonna lily, is a different plant from South Africa. Bulb sellers and shoppers both say "amaryllis" for the holiday kind, and so does this page. If you're after belladonna amaryllis bulbs specifically, read the listing for the botanical name.

The table above lists amaryllis bulbs and kits on Amazon US, fewest bulbs per pack first. Single bulbs lead, then packs of 2, 3, 4, 5 and up to 12. Every spec comes from the seller's listing. A dash means the listing doesn't say.

Plain bulb or waxed bulb: the first choice

There are two kinds of amaryllis bulb on this page, and they're bought for different reasons.

A plain bulb is a dormant bulb you pot yourself. You choose the pot, the soil and the window. With care after it blooms, it can flower again next winter. Our guide to how to care for amaryllis walks through the year.

A waxed bulb comes sealed in a colored wax coat with its roots trimmed. Iowa State University Extension says waxed bulbs need no water or soil, just bright, indirect light, and their flower stalks usually show up in 4 to 6 weeks. The catch: Iowa State calls them intended as single-use bulbs. Rebloom is possible but not guaranteed, and the bulb shrinks a lot after flowering. Remove the wax before you compost it.

On this page, the waxed, no-water bulbs come from sellers such as CZ Grain, Holland Bulb Farms, Van Zyverden and Breck's, and the table marks each one. Everything else is a plain bulb.

Here's how I'd decide. A waxed bulb is a decoration that blooms. A plain bulb is a houseplant that blooms. If you're giving it to someone who'd rather not water anything, waxed. If you'd like to see it again next December, plain.

Iowa State adds one shopping tip for waxed bulbs: skip any that are already blooming or have spent stalks. The show you paid for has started without you.

What to look at on an amaryllis listing

Six lines on a listing tell you most of what you need. If a line is missing, the table shows a dash.

Bulb size in centimeters

This is the line I read first, and it's my one opinion on this page: buy by the stated bulb size, not by the photo. Every amaryllis in a product photo is in full bloom. The centimeter number tells you what's actually in the box.

Amaryllis bulbs are sold by size in centimeters. Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center says a 30 to 32 cm bulb typically produces two flower stalks with 3 to 4 flowers each, and larger, older bulbs can send up three stalks with 4 to 5 blooms each. The University of Wisconsin Extension puts it more simply: the larger the bulb, the more flowers.

Stated sizes on this page include 22/24 cm on several Van Zyverden bulbs, 28/30 cm on others, and 36–38 cm on a CZ Grain pack of 4. A size written "26/28" means the bulb falls somewhere in that range.

It's the one corner of our house that measures in metric. Dell has accepted this. He hasn't converted.

Bulbs per pack

The table sorts by this, single bulbs first. Packs of 3 are common, and a few sellers offer 5, 6, 10 or 12. Bulk amaryllis bulbs make sense for a long windowsill, a church altar or a stack of teacher gifts. One bulb makes sense for one windowsill.

A mixed pack is a small surprise. Several CZ Grain and Daylily Nursery packs say mixed or random colors. You'll find out which is which when the buds open. (I keep a list. The list is usually wrong by one.)

Variety name

Named varieties tell you what the flower should look like. On this page you'll see Red Lion, Minerva, Ludwig Dazzler, Hypersonic, White Nymph, Dancing Queen, Double King and Double Dream, among others. The University of Wisconsin Extension describes Red Lion as dark red.

Double amaryllis bulbs have extra layers of petals. Iowa State University Extension lists Dancing Queen and White Nymph among its double-flowering cultivars, and Breck's names two Double varieties here. If you've seen amaryllis Black Pearl and want that deep red, read each listing for the variety name. A dark photo isn't a variety, and only the name tells you what you're getting.

Waxed or plain

Covered above. The table's waxed column says "waxed (no water)" only where the listing states it.

Hardiness zones

Some listings give USDA hardiness zones, and many of those here say 9 to 10. That number is about growing the bulb outdoors in the ground, not on a windowsill. Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center says amaryllis are cold hardy in South Carolina through Zone 8. If you're in a colder zone, the bulb lives indoors in winter, and the zone line doesn't matter much.

One Daylily Nursery listing states zones 1 to 10. Read that as indoor growing. Outdoors, by Clemson's note, amaryllis is a warm-zone plant. Look up your own zone by ZIP code on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Height and planting depth

Stated mature heights include 11 inches on Van Zyverden Impatient, 12 inches on Hypersonic and 24 inches on several Breck's and Van Zyverden bulbs. Iowa State says flower stalks generally reach 18 to 30 inches, so a short stated height is worth noticing if you want a tall centerpiece, and a good thing if the pot goes on a low table.

Several Van Zyverden listings state a planting depth of 2 inches. In a pot, Iowa State's rule is that the upper half of the bulb sits above the soil.

Amaryllis kits, vases and potted bulbs

Not every amaryllis comes as a loose bulb.

Amaryllis kits. A kit is a bulb sold with a pot and potting mix. The University of Wisconsin Extension notes that amaryllis bulbs are often sold this way. A kit is the easiest gift on this page to hand over. Read the bulb size on the listing, though. The pot doesn't make the bulb bigger.

Amaryllis vases. A forcing vase holds the bulb above water so the roots can reach down into it. Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center says to fill a bulb vase to 1 inch below its midsection, use a clear vase so you can watch the level, and turn it regularly so the stem grows straight. Clemson also says bulbs forced in water won't rebloom in water. Afterward, pot them in soil or let them go.

Potted amaryllis bulbs. If you pot a plain bulb yourself, Iowa State suggests a pot about 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb, with drainage holes, and an inch of space between the soil and the rim. Ken's take, when he saw the pot I'd picked: "A pot that's too big is a closet with one coat in it." He wasn't wrong. He also offered to make me a template.

Garden amaryllis. A few CZ Grain listings say garden or perennial. That fits a warm-winter yard, per the zone notes above. Everywhere else, think of the garden as summer camp: the potted bulb can spend summer outdoors and come back in before frost.

Where to buy amaryllis bulbs, and when

Amaryllis bulbs for sale show up in fall, from bulb companies, nurseries, garden centers and online. This page sticks to Amazon US listings, sold by bulb sellers such as Breck's, CZ Grain, Daylily Nursery, Eden Brothers, Holland Bulb Farms and Van Zyverden. The brand list below the table links to each one we cover.

The best place to buy amaryllis bulbs is wherever the listing tells you the bulb size, the variety and whether it's waxed. Those three lines decide what you get. A listing that leaves out the size is asking you to trust the photo.

Timing matters more than the store. For Christmas flowers, pot plain bulbs in early to mid-November, as Iowa State University Extension and Clemson both advise. Clemson says flowers can be expected 4 to 8 weeks after planting. Iowa State gives 6 to 8 weeks for Dutch-grown bulbs and 3 to 5 weeks for South African-grown ones, so a listing that says where the bulb was grown helps you time it. Order early enough that the bulbs arrive before mid-November.

If December sneaks up on you, a waxed bulb is the forgiving choice. Iowa State's 4 to 6 weeks for flower stalks still gets you something in bloom by the new year, and nothing has to be potted.

Getting an amaryllis to bloom

The short version, from Iowa State University Extension and Clemson:

• Pot it with the upper half of the bulb above the soil, in a pot 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb
• Keep it warm, at 70 to 75°F, and water lightly until growth shows
• Move it to a sunny window once the stalk appears
• Turn the pot regularly so the stalk grows straight, as Clemson advises for vases
• Move it somewhere cooler, 65 to 70°F and out of direct sun, once it blooms, so the flowers last

That's all the first winter asks. If you want it to bloom again, the rest of the year matters: leaves growing all summer, then 8 to 10 weeks of cool rest at 50 to 55°F in the fall, per Iowa State. The care guide has the calendar.

Field note: write the potting date on a card and tuck it in the pot. In six weeks you'll want to know whether the bulb is late or you're impatient. It's usually me.

Which amaryllis bulb fits which windowsill

A few quick matches, from the specs in the table:

• A gift for someone who doesn't water plants: a single waxed bulb
• A centerpiece: a single plain bulb with a large stated size and a 24-inch stated height
• A row of pots by a long window: a pack of 3 or 5 of one named variety
• Teacher, office or church gifts: a pack of 10 or 12, potted up in early November
• A warm-winter garden: a listing that says garden or perennial and states your zone
• Someone who likes surprises: a mixed-color pack

Keep bulbs away from pets

Amaryllis bulbs, leaves and flowers are toxic to dogs and cats, and Iowa State University Extension notes that the bulb and the plant are both poisonous. Keep pots where pets can't chew them, store loose bulbs on a high shelf, and keep trimmed leaves and spent stalks out of reach. If a pet eats any part of one, call your vet.

A windowsill above the sink has served us well. It's the one spot in the kitchen that nobody with four legs has ever claimed.

Happy watching.