11 Gorgeous Ways to Display Amaryllis for the Holidays

Make this winter-flowering bulb the star of your holiday table or mantel with these easy, creative display ideas.

Published on December 17, 2025

Credit:

Carson Downing

You've purchased—or been gifted—an amaryllis bulb. Now what? Instead of letting it sit all alone in its store container, dress it up to give it the attention it deserves. Here are our favorite ways to create a festive, showstopping display out of both potted and waxed amaryllis bulbs.

Standing Ovation

Credit:

Carson Downing

Waiting for a single amaryllis to bloom can test your patience. But by clustering several amaryllis types with different bloom times together, you'll have a succession of flowers throughout the season (and draw attention away from bulbs that haven't flowered yet). Matching pots, like these terra-cotta containers, pull the look together.

Evergreen Accents

Credit: Michael Partenio

Amaryllis flowers and winter greenery make natural partners in merriment. To create a centerpiece-worthy arrangement, clip evergreen and holly foliage—or anything else from your yard—and combine with a few snipped amaryllis stems.

Trio of Small Bulbs

Credit:

Carson Downing

Some amaryllis, like the 'Sonatini' series hybrids, have smaller flowers than other types. To create a full display with the diminuitive flowers, plant them together in a small pot, like the trio of ‘Belladonna’ bulbs here. Other great small varieties we like together: ‘Bright Spark' and ‘Aurora’.

Inside a Hurricane

Credit:

Carson Downing

Placing a potted amaryllis in a glass hurricane achieves two things: For one, it emphasizes the bulb's statuesque form. And from a practical standpoint, it keeps the top-heavy flower from tipping over. A bed of pebbles inside the hurricane plusa few choice objects and candles creates a complete vignette.

Natural Beauty

Credit: Michael Partenio

The vibrant, showy flowers of amaryllis contrast gorgeously with woodland touches for a sophisticated display: Earthy vases, pine cones, sprigs of greenery, and a little decorative bird. A couple of silver accents bring just a hit of festive shimmer.

Cut amaryllis can last as long as those kept in a pot. Just be sure to refresh the water in the vase regularly.

Pretty Package

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Placing a waxed amaryllis bulb in full bloom in a decorative gift box makes a stunning gift for a host. But it can also serve as decor on your own holiday table, especially when tied up with a bow and paired with votive candles.

Sparkling Centerpiece

Credit:

Jacob Fox

Start with a lineup of waxed amaryllis, add a string of battery-operated fairy lights, and say hello to some serious holiday magic. To keep the bulbs upright on the table, hot-glue the bases onto something with more surface area (we used small tart pans lined with pebbles).

Holiday Sculpture

Credit:

Carson Downing

Red dogwood twigs play up the height and color of a striped butterfly amaryllis like pieces of art. White sand at the base of the hurricane helps keep the display from tipping over, and subtly mimics a drift of snow.

A Curated Collection

Credit:

Keller and Keller Photography

For an artful, cabinet of curiosities–style display along a sideboard, go the extra measure when it comes to styling your amaryllis. Place several under glass cloches, in vases, and in baskets for a variety of textures and heights. Adding wood trays and moss as a top dressing gives the scene a straight-from-nature look.

Triple the Blooms

Credit:

Marty Baldwin and Greg Scheidemann

It's a time-proven design tenet: Everything looks better in threes. That's true of amaryllis as well. Just choose three types of bulbs that complement one another, place in coordinating containers, and you have a high-impact, well-rounded display for a mantel or tabletop.

A Garden in Miniature

Credit:

Andre Baranowski

Low and mid-height plants can be used to fill out the otherwise-empty visual space around the base of a tall amaryllis stem. We like the tropical effect miniature ferns and moss create. Keep the amaryllis in a separate pot placed in the center of a larger one, and you can lift it out when the blooms are done to replace with other flowers.