The Amaryllis Home Page

	Of all flowering bulbs, amaryllis are the easiest to bring to bloom. This can be accomplished indoors or out, and over an extended period of time. The amaryllis originated in South America's tropical regions and has the botanical name Hippeastrum. The large flowers and ease with which they can be brought to bloom make amaryllis popular and in demand worldwide. The amaryllis comes in many beautiful varieties including various shades of red, white, pink, salmon and orange. There are also many striped and multicolored varieties, usually combining shades of pink or red with white.
The base and roots of the bulb should be placed in lukewarm water for a few hours. Remember, if you cannot plant the bulbs immediately after receiving them, store them at a cool temperature between 40-50 degrees F. Plant bulbs in a nutritious potting compost, many are available pre-mixed. Plant the bulb up to its neck in the potting compost, being careful not to damage the roots. Press the soil down firmly to set the bulb securely in place after planting.
	Plant the bulb, or place the potted bulb in a warm place with direct light since heat is necessary for the development of the stems. The ideal temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F. Water sparingly until the stem appears, then, as the bud and leaves appear, gradually water more. At this point, the stem will grow rapidly and flowers will develop after it has reached full growth.
Bulbs will flower in 7-10 weeks as a general rule. In winter the flowering time will be longer than in spring. Set up your planting schedule between October and April with this in mind. To achieve continuous bloom, plant at intervals of 2 weeks for stunning color in your home or garden.

Some of our favorite Amaryllis

Amaryllis Papillio

Like the wings of a butterfly, the delicate petals of this amaryllis seem to float atop a sturdy 18" stalk. Petals of white are tinged green with contrasting maroon-red striped markings. Perfect for forcing indoors and container planting, this variety can also be planted outside when there is no chance of frost. Top-quality bulbs are guaranteed to grow and bloom wherever you plant them. Lift in fall when planted outside. Hippeastrum 'Papilio' 20+ cm bulbs (buy)

Amaryllis Philadephia
	This elegant, double flowered amaryllis is a joy to behold in mid-winter! Lush, 7-8" white flowers are dramatically edged with red. Our extra-large bulbs often produce two thick stems with three to four blooms apiece. Place pot near a window and water sparingly. (buy)

Amaryllis Royal Velvet
	An extraordinary amaryllis-many consider it the most beautiful of all! Magnificent 8-10" blooms of deep, mysterious red become the focal point of any indoor display. Four to five long-lasting flowers unfold about 6 weeks after planting. As many as 10 flowers are possible from a single bulb! 26-28 cm bulbs (buy)

Quick Amaryllis Facts:

Amaryllis is a monotypic genus of plant containing one species, the Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis belladonna), a native of South Africa.

The Belladonna Lily is a bulb plant, with each bulb being 5-10 cm in diameter. It has several strap-shaped, dull green leaves, 30-50 cm long and 2-3 cm broad, arranged in two rows. The leaves are produced in the autumn and eventually die down by late spring. The bulb is then dormant until late summer.

In late summer the bulb produces one or two naked stems 30-60 cm tall, each of which bear a cluster of 2 to 12 funnel-shaped flowers at their tops. Each flower is 6-10 cm diameter with six tepals (three outer sepals, three inner petals, with similar appearance to each other), white, pink or purple in colour. This flowering pattern is the cause of its common name 'naked lady'. The scientific name Amaryllis is named after a shepherdess in one of Virgil's pastorals, and means any young rustic maiden.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Lilliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Genus: Amaryllis
Species: A. belladonna

The Belladonna Lily was introduced into cultivation at the beginning of the 18th century. However, most of the so-called Amaryllis bulbs sold as 'ready to bloom for the holidays' belong to the allied genus Hippeastrum, despite being labeled as 'Amaryllis' by sellers and nurseries. Adding to the name confusion, some bulbs of other species with a similar growth and flowering pattern are also sometimes called 'naked ladies', even though those species have their own more widely used and accepted common names, such as the Resurrection Lily (Lycoris squamigera).