If you are a flower lover, the months of December, January and February can be pretty bleak. Store-bought bouquets can help a little, but they always look a bit sad. It's not just flowers that we crave. It's their freshness and energy. There’s no need to live through a flowerless winter. Amaryllis make it easy to fill your home with flowers and let you enjoy the pleasure of nurturing a plant from bulb to bloom.
Amaryllis (more accurately named Hippeastrum) are grapefruit-sized flower bulbs that are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. In frost-free areas (zones 8-11) they may be grown outdoors and will flower during the summer months. But the vast majority of amaryllis bulbs are sold in late fall to be grown indoors. Their natural bloom time is between December and March. With a little planning, you can enjoy amaryllis all winter long. To get months of flowers you can start with as few as five amaryllis bulbs. Here's how to do it.
The bulbs for double amaryllis Alaska are grown in Peru, and will bloom sooner than bulbs grown in Holland.
Purchase Amaryllis Bulbs with Different Origins
Amaryllis have been produced commercially for more than 100 years and are currently grown in Holland, South Africa, Israel, Brazil, Peru and Japan. Bulbs that are produced in the southern hemisphere (South Africa, Brazil and Peru) bloom in December, while bulbs from the northern hemisphere (Holland, Japan, Israel and the U.S) typically bloom from late January into March.
Purchasing bulbs from more than one growing region will allow you to enjoy the longest possible bloom time. If you purchase amaryllis bulbs from a box store, the bulb origin probably won’t be apparent. For planning purposes (and to get the widest selection of top quality bulbs!) purchase your bulbs directly from a bulb purveyor like Longfield Gardens.
