🌸Amaryllis Tips & Tricks 🌸
Winter is the time of year for lots of things, nature going to sleep, snow, holidays, warm n tasty dishes and drinks, and also some plants bloom now! As crazy as it is, some plants bloom in winter because they don’t see the world shutting down — they see a chance to shine. They remind us that growth can happen in the coldest moments, and life finds a way even when everything else feels still. Unique growing process of the Amaryllis is they are a bulb, but the flower comes first and then the leaves come after. So after the flower dies off, you're left with these big, long leaves. Kinda backwards from other plants! The bulb stores energy from the previous season's leaves. If it has sufficient energy, it will send up a flower stalk. If it has not stored enough energy, it may send up leaves first to photosynthesize and create more energy for a future bloom. 🌸 Amaryllis Facts & Care Guide ✨ Fun Facts: 🌺 Amaryllis means “to sparkle” — fitting for those huge, dramatic blooms. 🌿 Each bulb can re-bloom for years with the right care — they’re basically the gift that keeps on giving. 🎨 Flowers come in red, white, pink, orange, and striped varieties. 💫 They’re popular around the holidays because they bloom indoors in winter when most plants are asleep. 🇿🇦 Native to South Africa — that’s why they love warmth and bright light! The bulb is essentially a self-contained energy packet. It uses the starches and nutrients stored during the previous growing season (when the leaves were present) to produce the impressive, large flowers without needing to photosynthesize immediately. The leaves typically emerge around the same time as the flowers start to open, or shortly after. The crucial role of the leaves is to then perform photosynthesis during the following spring and summer, rebuilding the bulb's energy reserves for the next year's bloom. - Reproductive Advantage: In the plant's natural environment in Central and South America, this growth cycle often times flowering with the onset of the rainy season after a dry rest period. Blooming before the leaves appear can be an evolutionary advantage, as it allows the plant to flower and set seed before the dense foliage of other plants might block access to pollinators or sunlight.