First....I would make sure there are no agricultural restrictions going into FL...I know CA and AZ are picky (if traveling by car). But...that's a separate point. SURE they want to go on the trip too!! If it were me, I'd put them in my carry on...take a magazine and roll it around the bulb to creat a sleeve for the leaves and scape. Secure it with rubber bands and then pack it in the middle of the carry on so that it is well protected. That's what I'd do. You can unpot the one and repot it when you get to your mother's. It will take some creativity on your part, and expect to have your bag hand inspected, but it's doable! Kristi

Susan those are beautiful! How great to share that love with so many of my friends! good morning Pat lol Karyn I am not sure...let me count them. I had bought a few at the last Co-Op Ryan co hosted at Dave's. ha ha ha so is DH bringing them home with a tractor trailer? lol My heart almost broke when I saw that the sticks to hold the stems...were poked right into the bulb from you :-( But I am not sure if you saw it...it had a BABY bulb and it is growing !!! :-) Lucy

Skeptical of certain plants and their survival in certain areas, perhaps, but I'm not sure how I sound patronizing... I think you misinterpret my meaning... I'm not criticizing your understanding... I'm simply not sure whether you are visualizing my growing circumstances and actual locality as they are... and since you don't have your zone or locale included in your visible member information, I couldn't know you are in Indiana, and I still don't really know what part of Indiana or what your individual growing environment is like. It could be quite different from mine. Let's start at the beginning, shall we? I've been away from the forum for quite some time, so I haven't yet had the pleasure of getting to know you through your postings. I haven't had much time to gauge your level of gardening, nor get a feel for who you are, your writing style, where you garden, etc... and I don't know how much you've read about me in past threads. One thing I've learned in the many decades I've been gardening is never to trust the data on a plant's commercial tag... very often, they contain culture information that's not quite truthful. In order to find what's closer to the truth, one must do some research... and by some research, I mean using several resources to get a feel for what's correct. I've seen tags on supposed perennials at certain garden centers and listings in catalogs that contain obviously incorrect data, but a sale is a sale to some companies... and many consumers aren't that concerned with having to repurchase should the plant die. As I mentioned in another thread, the industry is what it is. If a plant is rated zone 5, I will often consider it borderline for my individual conditions, and opt instead for something rated at zone 4 or 3, to ensure a better chance of winter survival, and better peace of mind for myself. Our gardens are so packed that I have few protected places left to put things. Tender Amaryllids and other unusual bulbed plants are a personal interest that I dabble in... hardy old garden roses are our business, though we're a young business. As far as I'm aware, most Hymenocallis are native to more tropical and subtropical areas. Only a very few Hymenocallis grow in Illinois, Hymenocallis caroliniana being one... but only in the very southernmost areas of the state. It's not a bulb I could leave in the ground through winter as I'm much farther north. I don't think I'd want to risk it. Crinum is another bulb I'm fairly certain is more common to tropical and subtropical areas. Lycoris, too, generally do not survive winters as far north as I live, with the exception of Lycoris squamigera. I have never seen any of these plants growing in this general area, nor have I heard of anyone leaving them in the ground through winter. Most, to my knowledge, are considered "tender". I'm familiar with the name Jim Shields... I've read quite a bit of his writings. In many of those writings, he mentions having bulbs planted in what I would consider protected areas, such as up against walls, greenhouse walls, etc... which may account, in small part, for some of his success. His main success stems from the fact that he's very knowledgeable of the bulbs he grows and what they require. He also notes that Lycoris squamigera does not generally set seed, and yet... I had seed pods galore in all of my Lycoris patches. My point being, different gardeners can experience very different results. I'm originally from the Illinois/Wisconsin border area, which is a mere 3 or 3 and a half hours away... and many of the plants I couldn't grow there, I am able to grow here with great success. There are many factors that contribute to a plant's ability to survive and thrive through the climate conditions of a specific gardening zone. Just because you or Jim Shields can grow some of the bulbs you mention, does not mean I can expect the same success. There are simply too many variables to guarantee such a thing. I offered thanks for the bulb list you wrote, which took effort you certainly did not have to expend. I'm still not sure how you would consider that patronizing. When I said thank you, that's exactly what I meant... thank you. :-)

I would love to have the opportunity to take pictures of Aphrodite again. I love that sparkle in the closeup. Glad you liked the photos too. The leaves are long and green, but are bent down right at the top of the bulb. There are about six leaves. I suppose the rotting began in the spring (it was fine up until I took it outdoors), and it just didn't have the strength to produce more leaves. I am wondering whether I should just let the leaves yellow, cut them and allow it to rest. I am hoping to get another amaryllis from a nearby garden center when they get them in. They are more expensive but the bulb is a good size and they had had some nice ones I thought. I was thinking of purchasing Charisma last year, but couldn't decide. Then it was gone.