What can I do with a sudden supply of amaryllis bulbs?

February 21, 2012 5:59 PM

I have come into a supply of very large, robust Amaryllis bulbs- more than I can deal with. A little help?

These plants haven't gone dormant in seven years because of overwatering, so the homeowner asked me to remove them and do whatever I wanted with the bulbs. So now I have like forty enormous (softball size and up) bulbs with the leaves attached. What on earth can I do with these? I'd hate for them to go to waste!

In case my location makes a difference- in San Francisco.

posted by BuddhaInABucket to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

Sell them on eBay or Craigslist, or buy a ton of cheap pots from a thrift store and give them as gifts? There are probably people on your local Freecycle who'd also love to have them.
posted by cyndigo at 6:21 PM on February 21, 2012

How about finding an organization that visits people in nursing homes, and find a way to donate them that way? The volunteers or the residents can take care of re-potting them, and it might really brighten their lives.
posted by amtho at 6:32 PM on February 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Ah, what kind of amaryllis? Hippeastrum or Amaryllis belladonna?
posted by purpleclover at 6:46 PM on February 21, 2012

Response by poster: Purpleclover: Amaryllis belladonna.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:02 PM on February 21, 2012

Well, I plant my Christmas Amaryllis bulbs (Hippeastrum) in my yard every spring. I'm in Memphis, Zone 7, and if they're well mulched, they will overwinter outside and rebloom the next spring. Planted in groups of three or more, clumped together, makes a more attractive display than if they are planted in rows. Do you have a yard?
posted by raisingsand at 8:32 PM on February 21, 2012