CyberSalad: Garden Pursuits: Bulbs: Amaryllis (Dutch)

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Hippeastrum

Hippeastrum has been known as amaryllis for so long that many gardeners think that is the generic name; to compound the confusion, plants of the true genus Amaryllis are more familiar as belladonna lilies. The so-called amaryllis is characterized by clusters of three to four enormous lilylike flowers--some as much as 8 to 10 inches in diameter--borne at the top of leafless 1- to 2- foot stems in winter and spring. The flower stalks grow with amazing speed, usually before or at the same time that new leaves arise from the bulbs. Most large bulbs send up a second flower stalk about the time that the first one begins to fade. The dark green straplike leaves grow 18 to 24 inches long. In some hybrids the foliage is evergreen or nearly evergreen, but most amaryllis foliage is deciduous and must be allowed to grow until late summer or early fall, when it withers and dies.
Amaryllises grow well outdoors in Zones 9-10. They do best in light shade and rich moist soil. Plant in fall, spacing the bulbs 12 to 15 inches apart and covering them with 2 to 3 inches of soil. North of Zone 9, amaryllises should be treated as house plants and do best in at least four hours of direct sunlight a day. Night temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees and day temperatures of 70 or higher are ideal. Plant any time from fall to early spring, setting each bulb in a big enough pot to allow no more than 1 inch of space between the bulb and the sides, with the upper 1/3 of the bulb above soil level. Use good quality potting soil, and water thoroughly once, then withhold water until the flower stalk appears. From that point on, keep the plant moist and feed monthly with a standard house-plant fertilizer until the leaves yellow in late summer. Reduce the water and omit fertilizer through the fall and winter until about a month before flowers are desired. Each year, before starting bulbs into growth, carefully remove some of the old soil and replace with fresh soil. Repot every 3-4 years. Propagate in fall from the small bulbs that develop beside the large ones, or from seeds. Seeds take 3-4 years to reach flowering size.

	'Red Lion'--Deep red; ideal color for the holidays.

	'Appleblossom'--Soft pink with white.

	'Minerva'--Red with white star center.

	'Floris Hekker'--Deep red.

	'Flower Record'--White with deep pink streaks.

	'Furore'--Deep pinkish red.

	'Bestseller'--Cerise.

	'Dazzler'--Pure white.

	'White Christmas'--Pristine white blooms with thick petals.

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Site launched January 1, 2000.
Site updated September 1, 2007.