The reason the retailer had marked them down was because they were all either blooming or had bloomed. Yes, they had bloomed without benefit of water, sufficient light or even being potted up.
These amaryllis blooming like this also showed me again that ANYONE can successfully grow an amaryllis. They will grow regardless of care. So if you know someone who swears they have a black thumb and any plant they try to grow dies, an amaryllis bulb would make a nice gift to prove them wrong. And, if they can’t grow an amaryllis, then I guess their thumb is really black.
It is too late for the amaryllis bulbs I saw on Saturday, but if we all hurry, perhaps we can rescue those that are still on the store shelves, begging to be let out of their boxes so they can bloom? We will need a plan…
Aren’t amaryllis the flowers that have such long stems they fall over? Mine always need to be propped up.
I have rescued a couple for my office. 🙂 They remind me of my mother, as she always had red ones in the front yard.
Now how come I never come across things like that??!! I can’t even find a box of amaryllis…I can’t even find a basil plant in this little town, for crying out loud!!!
I tried to get some a few weeks ago! But when I peeked inside the ones at my store, you could tell there would be all leaves and no blooms. I think they got too hot and dry outside in fall, and am sure they are frozen now.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose