Michael Mace wrote: >This isn't much evidence to go on, but my preliminary guess is that >Amaryllis blooms in California are triggered by high rainfall in the >previous one (or two) winters. This is true of bulbous plants in various areas subject to extreme drought, including native bulbs in California (especially southern California) and in northern Chile. Another amaryllid that can be adduced as an example is Rhodophiala bagnoldii, the common species of northern Chile. After an El Nino rainfall year, I saw vast colonies of it in flower there, but after a series of dry years the only ones in flower were in a plantation of young olive trees that were being drip-irrigated. The last time I went to Chile we had hoped for another El Nino flowering, but the weather pattern that seemed to be forming when we made our plans (too early!) fizzled out, and flowering was poor except in the coastal areas of the "fog desert." The next time I head for the Atacama, I'll be sure not to buy any plane tickets until I know it's been raining. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA