My Go-to Gift Under $20 Is the Gorgeous “Living Ornament” My Late Father Gave Me Every Christmas

My whole life, when wintertime and the holidays would arrive, I would go to visit my plant-loving dad. Amaryllis bulbs were stocked on his plant stand, ready and waiting to be gifted — and he would always insist that I take one home. As a professed brown thumb, I’d tell him that I would likely kill the plant before we made it home, so if he didn’t want it to die, he should keep it for himself and enjoy the bloom that only a green thumb like his could nurture.

He would argue back, assuring me that yes, the flower would bloom. No, I would not kill it. And truly, the plant needed little to no care. 

“Sit it near a kitchen windowsill and wait for a beautiful bloom to emerge — and be patient.” His directions were simple. So, off I would go with my new amaryllis, and usually, it proved him right: After some time, the flower would bloom, often in a bright, deep red, and many times more than one bloom would emerge. It was a lovely holiday gift that I was able to enjoy throughout the bleakness of winter. 

It’s a sweet memory I have of my dad, who loved beautiful flowers — he once drove all over the state of Alabama looking for a specific rare yellow rosebush to plant in memory of his mother, my grandmother — and wanted to share his love for plants and flowers with everyone around him. After losing him last year, I now think of my dad each time I see amaryllis bulbs for sale during the holidays. 

It dawned on me that it truly was a perfect gift idea, and that I could give them to loved ones, too, so I purchased a wax-dipped bulb for each of my sisters and my niece. Like me, they were skeptical anything live would ever emerge from the wax bulb. After the holidays, we started a text group chat devoted solely to growth updates on the amaryllises. My older sister’s bloomed white, my younger sister’s bloomed pink, but my niece lamented hers would not bloom. “Just be patient, and it will bloom,” I assured her.

Finally, in mid-March, she sent an excited message and photo of a beautiful deep-red bloom. It was a fun and special way to remember my dad, try our hands at growing something, and marvel at the beauty of nature throughout the drab winter season. 

Last year, I spotted a set of three lovely waxed dipped amaryllis plants at Costco. After they were such a hit last year, I knew I had to snag a set to gift again and continue the tradition, but this time, I vowed to keep one for myself to sit in my kitchen windowsill. It truly is a living decor gift that rewards you for making it through winter with an exquisite bright bloom. If you’re really patient, it might just bear more than one bloom, and if you’re really lucky, a second bloom after the first. 

If you’re not a Costco member or they’re sold-out by the time you get there, Amazon has you covered with all your amaryllis gift-giving needs — this red wax-dipped amaryllis bulb is stunning, and Santa’s elves can deliver it straight to your doorstep! You can also check your local Trader Joe’s to see if they’ve stocked up on this special “living ornament.”

Just remember that patience is essential with these flowers during wintertime and beyond. Sit the bulb in a windowsill and give it some time for the beautiful bloom to appear (and let your giftees know the same). 

Buy: Costa Farms Amaryllis Bulb, $16.99 (normally $19.99)