Good morning -
I am hoping you may be able to answer an Amaryllis question for me. I have been growing Amaryllis for a number of years, and have b...
Knowledgebase
Unusual Amaryllis seedlings #925405
Asked March 04, 2026, 11:23 AM EST
Good morning -
I am hoping you may be able to answer an Amaryllis question for me. I have been growing Amaryllis for a number of years, and have been making crosses / growing pods and planting seeds. Of course I am hoping the result will be something interesting (eventually) as it will be years before seedlings bloom.
However, I have always had seedlings that sprout with just a single, grass-like blade ... and, as they grow in size, they will grow additional leaves. This year, for some odd reason, at least one of my crosses is resulting in seedlings unlike any I have grown before: they are sprouting wider leaves, and sending up (2) rather than one ... even at the earliest stages.
Is this as uncommon as I think it is? Is there a reason this might occur? If it were just a single instance, I might think it an aberration ... but I am seeing quite a few. And that makes me wonder if the cross(es) to the specific parent(s) is creating / exhibiting something unusual?
I will add a photo below of one of the trays with said seedlings. You will note that 'some' appear perfectly normal, but there are a surprising number that are different. The common parent is a Cybister amaryllis, 'Wild Amazone'. Thank you. (I am not actually in Minnesota but had to choose a county)
Blue Earth CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing. The genetic structure of Amaryllis is quite variable. The younger the plant--the greater the variation that ensues. Thus if you are growing seeds as opposed to propagating bulbs, you will see more hybridization and variation in genetic expression.