In addition to amaryllis, I thought I had hippeaster, an amaryllis
lookalike, but a landscape architect pointed out it was actually chrinum
morea (not sure spelling is correct). In my garden books, all three look
very similar. In my climate (Los Angeles, Sunset zone 23), I don't remove
from the ground except when bulbs get very crowded. They seem to bloom at
least twice a year. I give them water when it is very dry. Some of the
stalks grow to be almost 3 feet high--the amaryllis that is. The Chrinum
gets very large and spreads out, also has offsets, and look great when
crowded. The flowers are long lasting, but plants blooms only once a year.

Judy

"David Ross" wrote in message
...
llama mama wrote:

my amaryllis have been outside for the summer, but show no sign of dying
back yet. how do i get them ready to rest so i get blooms again?
oh, and at what age can i expect a bulblet to be big enough to bloom?
should i pot it seperately when i repot the parent? (it's 2 years old &
quarter sized)
lee

Often, there is confusion between Amaryllis belladonna (commonly
called "naked lady" or "belladonna lily") and various species and
hybrids of Hippeastrum (commonly called "amaryllis"). While both
are natives of similar climates, their care and culture differ.
See my http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_hippeastrum.html.
--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 19 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/