The hybrids that everyone seems to like should be very cheap from a host of places. Since I do not buy these I can not recommend. If you want the true species like I do then they are going to cost you as these are not routinely grown and are only available from a few places.

I'd love to trade for some species Hippeastrum and will post a separate message in a bit if anyone is interested in these beauties rather than the overblown hybrids (not trying to offend by the way). Good growing everyone :o) Dan

depends on where you go. big box stores will have the common varieties in the US$7-8 range. if you're looking for something a little more esoteric you may have to pay in the $13-17 range for a naked bulb. the great big honking huge mother bulbs may go for $20.

that said, i haven't been to any stores yet this season to see if there's been a big spike in prices or something. (have enough trouble with the hipps i've already got; don't need any more. ;-)

You can get hybrids for $3.75 right now at the large national discount store. If you are working on a budget, and are willing to maintain plants year-to-year, the best bet is to go to stores right after Christmas. They often have the $10 kits on clearance for $1 or less. Take particular note of places that have lots in stock, but don't sell plants year-round.

Yep, WalMart, etc have them around here for $3.99 each. I can not imagine paying $13 for a hybrid to be honest...are they really that expensive?? Maybe if it is the first year it is being released, but honestly that is a high price for something produced in mass quantities....or atleast I think so, but I'm likely all wet as usual :o) Dan

some places just plain don't carry the less common varieties. the only places i've even seen charismas or veras, for instance, are in actual nurseries, and they've always been at least $13. i've never seen any for sale in the wal marts or home despots or places like that.

you can get them thru the bulb catalogs for cheaper, but then those catalogs usually have a $35 minimum or thereabouts, so it defeats the prupose.

I'm new to Amaryllis too. Had one that was given to me 2 years ago and it rebloomed twice. I wanted other colors and got some in Walmart for $3.93 each. I got 4 bulbs for the price of 1 "rare amaryllis".

ARe you looking for a particular variety?

Last year Brent & Becky's bulbs online had a great sale late last November. BTW if you go to their site, look under hippaestrum If you want several different bulbs and don't care which is which try Van Engelen's Amarlyllis collections. If you want just one variety, but want a umber of them, try BloominBulbs. com

If you buy at the big bos stores, look for larger bulbs and check to see if it has already bloomed in the box. I've had great luck and seen really crummy leftovers. Ya gotta look in the box

c

The bulbs at Wal-Mart in Jacksonville, Florida are $2.50 each. Now that's a pretty good price. I went to two different stores: one store had really nice Red Lions and the other had Minervas. Each store had only one variety. The bulbs are in great condition and are about 4" in diameter. I bought 16 of the Red Lions - some for me and some for my sister for her birthday!

I have this one bulb that is pink. It's pink and has white stripes in the flower. It has taken abuse year after year but still comes to flower every year. I would love to buy more of the same variety and another color like red.
I'm going to check bloomingbulbs.

The pink and white is likely AppLe Blossom as it is a common variety sold in gift boxes and everywhere and pretty, grows well and reproduces even in the house. You folks are so lucky the common ones here are eight dollars in a box wutg few varieties available. Would be worth the postage to have someone pick them up for us. We never see anything cheaper than that not even at walmart which is 150 miles from here and gas is 3.00 a gallon so we rarely go there to shop anymore.

Wal Mart $3.50. That is less than what i paid for last year.

I just bought an 'appleblossom' kit at wally world even though I hate the place...$3.97. Was visiting mom and dad for the weekend and it's the closest place...ANYWAY, I did see naked minerva bulbs for $2.50 as already mentioned, but didn't get any because I already have that one, lol. I did buy 'picotee' at HD two years ago for around $4 and it's done well. Mom bought me 'black pearl' for Christmas last year at a local nursery; don't know how much it cost because she won't tell me and they sold out before I could go find more...lol.

Forgot to mention that I saw a new one at Smith and Hawken the other day; I nearly fell out though when I saw the $14 sign for the naked bulb...I'll leave it to be beautiful there, lol! Forgot the name; it was a dark true orange color, not reddish in the least. Maybe next year when the novelty has died down a bit...

Price for any bulb depends on:

size of bulb (larger bulbs are more expensive and produce more stalks of flowers compared to smaller bulbs.)

quality of bulb

place selling it (some have higher markups than others)

way its being sold (boxed kit, naked bulb, etc)

variety/cultivar (some 'rare' varieties can sometimes be sold for more)

Where the bulb comes from/seller (small family run operation vs. large dutch mass production.)

For example. Smith and Hawkins (usually) only sells the largest commercially available amaryllis bulbs: 32cm and up. These definitely cost $15 and upwards depending on the named cultivar. They also have a high mark up for that company and pretty much everything in their stores are overpriced. [They also tend to sell at least some more uncommon varieties, it depends.]

Walmart bulbs are just a different thing. I have bought them in the past and been happy but they tend to be the bare minimum size to produce one stalk (usually in the 24-26 cm range.) If you're just going to use them one season and toss em, these are a good option because they are so inexpensive. The last two years the amount of red blotch on the bulbs was so horrible that I passed on em. I didn't want to contaminate my collection any further than the problems I already have.

If you want to keep the bulb in your yard (live in frost free climate) or grow it and keep it for next year then I definitely recommend investing in a larger bulb. I've noticed that no matter how I treat them, they will almost regularly bloom the next year. Amaryllis take about 18 months to develop a bloom stalk and the larger bulbs have the development (in my opinion, I'd have to double check the books to be sure) for next season's bulbs already going within them so its almost a guarantee for two years worth of flowers. That's just my experience.

I have learned that bulbs vary a lot year to year in terms of supply and in terms of health. Some years are just bad years and prices reflect the smaller supply. And some years it seems like the bulbs are just not as big nor as healthy as others.

My favorite places to shop are Scheepers/VB, Old House Gardens and my NEW favorite is Easy To Grow Bulbs. (www.easytogrowbulbs.com) especially for amaryllis. He has some more uncommon ones that no one else seems to be carrying this year. I no longer buy from Brent and Beckys because the shipping charges to my coast are a killer (just has gotten worse each year) and every order had a goof up in it. Bulbs missing or a 30 dollar single bulb mislabeled. ("Oops".) So not even worth it for me anymore but many others love them and I respect em. :)

I didn't see any new 'spectacular' cultivars come out this year. Kinda a disappointment.

My favorite Amaryllis are mostly doubles and the unusual. I will say that last couple years Walmart was selling Aphrodite (a double white/pink) and that particular cultivar is really spectacular. Really is. Very vigorous. I've never had a problem or concern with any Aphrodite and my bulbs bloom consistently not only in winter but in summer as well, get forced (because I enjoy winter blooms) and bloom right again in winter. Its something with that cultivar I haven't seen in any other.

Might be my imagination but the White Flower Farm seems to have decreased its amaryllis selection this year. Seems like the selection in general has taken a step down this year. Oh well.

Iwalani:
Glad to hear you've had good experiences with them. I just placed an order with them. They are local for me and have a great selection of bulbs that do well in my zone.

I Bought a double one down South at a Nursery by Granny's for 5 UK Pounds and 99p It's a good size Bulb, 12inches round (Make Sense) I Think it was a good price as I'm going to keep it for next Year

I recieved several 'discarded' ones from a neighbor's yard and plunked them into the ground. Most of them bloomed...alll red. I also have one my husband bought for me over 10 years ago. It blooms at least twice each year and is still in the same 6" pot. The bulb more or less fills the pot and has some shoots from bulblets this year. I'm excited to find that bulbs do so well in Central Florida. Should you put the small bulbs into small pots so they will also be pot bound? I fertilize with very weak solution about every two weeks.
Thanks