Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs that come coated in wax are designed for a single year of flower production but you can keep them and help them to bloom again with a little extra preparation. They do not have a full set of roots and can't form them with the wax in place. They have been using only the energy stored in the sealed bulb to grow rather than taking up any nourishment from soil.

When the plant stops flowering, you will need to cut down the stem and tenderly remove the wax coating. Then pot the bulb up and follow the Dormancy Care instructions in our Guide to Amaryllis Care to give the plant the best care during the summer followed by a period of dormancy. Instructions for potting the bulb correctly are also in the Guide.

As your bulb will be starting this season with more depleted energy than a bulb that had been growing in soil, there is a chance that it will not produce flowers in the next year, just leaves. Those leaves will be doing their job to continue to photosynthesize and build up energy with a better chance of producing flowers the following year.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service