I was completely bummed to lose my prized Hippeastrum 'Germa' this past winter. The exceptionally bitter cold took it away along with many of my potted geophytes. Luckily I had a pup from the mother plant growing on my living-room windowsill. The pup slowly lost its leaves & went dormant early this year. I anxiously waited for signs of new growth. Nothing. Month after month, nothing. Finally tonight I started poking around in the pot with my finger, and my heart sank when I crushed what was left of the bulb. Or so I thought. It turns out it was just the neck of the bulb. Down deeper was a firm, happy, healthy, golfball sized Hippeastrum putting out new roots. YAY!!! I couldn't believe how deep the bulb positioned itself. I potted it up in a larger pot with fresh potting mix, and now I can patiently wait for it to break dormancy on its own schedule. I'm stoked that 'Germa' is still in my collection. :-) Dennis in Cincinnati