Amaryllis plants are popular flowering plants during the holiday season. They have beautiful, brightly colored flowers that last for weeks! But what do you do when your amaryllis leaves turn yellow?

There could be many reasons why your amaryllis leaves turned yellow, so let’s explore some of them below to help you figure out what is going on!

Why Are My Amaryllis Leaves Turning Yellow?

Your amaryllis leaves are turning yellow because the plant has been overwatered, it hasn’t received enough light, or the environment is causing stress.

Let’s now explore the most common causes of yellowing leaves on amaryllis and what you can do about them.

Yellow Amaryllis from Overwatering

If your amaryllis is producing yellow leaves, it could be because you’ve been overwatering the plant. Amaryllis plants are only supposed to be watered when they’re dry and never let their soil become soggy or wet!

It’s best to only add more water when the top inch of soil is dry. You can test this by sticking your finger in the soil. If it feels dry and crumbly, you can add more water!

Alternatively, you can use a moisture meter, which is an inexpensive tool that will tell you if the soil is too wet or dry. This is the most accurate method, although using your finger is fine if you don’t mind getting it a little dirty.

An overwatered plant should be allowed to dry if you want it to recover. Sometimes it can be too late, and root rot has already happened. If so, you need to act immediately by separating the plant from its container and removing as much of the soggy soil as possible.

Next, you should repot it into new soil that is well-draining. It’s also a good idea to remove any rotten roots before you repot your plant. You can do this with a pair of sterilized shears, but make sure not to damage any other areas of the plant.

Once you’ve repotted it, water sparingly until the soil is dry again to prevent overwatering! This may take a week or two before everything recovers.

Yellow Amaryllis from Lack of Light

If you don’t have enough light for your amaryllis plant to photosynthesize (absorb food), leaves can turn yellow and eventually die back completely. This usually happens first on the lowest set of leaves closest to the ground level because this area receives less direct sunlight than other areas higher up off the ground.

It’s best if your amaryllis gets at least six hours of bright (indirect) sunlight each day so that it has access to plenty of energy to produce beautiful flowers. Remember, most plants need sun exposure in order for their chlorophyll to produce food from sunlight.

If your amaryllis isn’t receiving enough light, you should reposition it in a place where it does get plenty of indirect sunlight daily for at least half the day. If that’s not possible, then consider adding an artificial grow light (Amazon link) instead to give it more access to energy!

I use grow lights on nearly all of my houseplants during winter when sunlight is at a minimum. They can be moved around, and they’re especially useful for plants that need to grow upright like amaryllis!

Yellowing Leaves on Amaryllis Due to Stress

Amaryllis plants can sometimes begin producing yellow leaves if they’re under stress from something like poor soil conditions or due to being moved around too often.

In fact, this usually happens when someone repots their amaryllis plant. In this case, all you need is some TLC and a little bit of time before the plant recovers and returns to normal.

The best thing you can do for your amaryllis is to do nothing and let the plant get climatized to its new surroundings. Try not to make the mistake of making more and more changes, which will only cause further stress!

Amaryllis Leaves FAQ

I will now discuss some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to yellowing leaves on amaryllis.

Should I cut yellow leaves off my amaryllis?

Yes, it’s usually best to remove any yellow leaves on an amaryllis plant. The most effective way is by cutting off each leaf with a pair of sterilized shears that have been soaked in some rubbing alcohol for about 20 minutes beforehand. This will help prevent it from spreading any disease!

Is it normal for my amaryllis to lose some of its lower leaves?

Yes, it’s totally normal for amaryllis plants to lose some leaves when they’re growing. In fact, it happens every year! The lower ones will begin dying off during winter and then you can expect the plant to produce new shoots in springtime after all of its old foliage has dropped off to make room.

Will too little light cause my amaryllis to turn yellow?

Yes, it’s normal for your amaryllis to turn yellow if it doesn’t get enough light. It may also lose some leaves too. This usually happens when the plant isn’t getting sufficient sunlight during wintertime (at least six hours per day is best).

Will too much water cause my amaryllis leaves to turn yellow?

Yes, it’s possible for amaryllis plants to turn yellow due to overwatering if you water it too often. In fact, this usually happens in winter when people tend to forget about their houseplants and then they get a nasty surprise when the soil is all wet!

Will yellow amaryllis leaves turn green again?

No, it is very unlikely for your amaryllis leaves to turn green again once they’ve turned yellow. However, you can encourage new foliage by making sure your plant gets plenty of indirect sunlight, giving it good air circulation to prevent fungal growths on the leaves, and then repotting it in fresh soil that has been mixed with fertilizer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you should now know why amaryllis leaves are turning yellow! There are several possible reasons, but you can narrow it down by thinking about what changed in your plant’s environment.

Is it too hot? Is there not enough light? Did you overwater your plant or repot it into poor soil conditions?

If so, then these are most likely the reasons why amaryllis leaves turn yellow. Fortunately, having an idea of what caused this will give you a better chance at fixing the problem!

I hope you learned something today and enjoyed reading this blog post. If so, please feel free to check out my other posts.