Commonly known as "Amaryllis" the bulbs
grown indoors to bloom at Christmas invariably belong to the South-American
genus Hippeastrum. The name Amaryllis is conserved for bulbs
originating from South Africa. When not prepared to flower in December the
bulbs will flower later, mostly at the end of winter and in early spring. I
keep my bulbs for years in cramped pots, which they seem to love. With new
methods of propagation the bulbs have become cheaper and are now seen more
often in modern and hip interiors as floral accents or as cut flowers.
The red varieties of Hippeastrum are mostly derived
from Hippeastrum reginae and H. blossfeldiae. These complex hybrids have bright
red petals in a cluster of 3-5 flowers atop a hollow stem that sprouts from the
centre of a bottle-shaped bulb. Some cultivars have at least double the number
of tepals (middle: H. 'Double Delicious'). The bulbs are kept dry over autumn
an often lose their leaves. Some however are evergreen and should be watered
slightly during their resting period.
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