Amaryllis – flower wonders for the Christmas season
Amaryllis defy the gray season with magnificent flower clusters on tall stems – in classic Christmas red, snow white, or soft powder tones. The perfect remedy for the winter blues.
Of hippeastrums and belladonna lilies
Amaryllis are also known as hippocastanum (Hippeastrum vittatum), which, from a botanical perspective, is absolutely correct. The confusion surrounding the naming began with the Swedish plant researcher Carl von Linné, who originally grouped the hippocastanum, native to South America, and the belladonna lily (Amaryllis belladonna), native to South Africa, into one genus. Later, the hippocastanums were separated again, and since then, with approximately 70 species and more than 600 cultivated forms, they have constituted their own genus (Hippeastrum). Nevertheless, the name Amaryllis has persisted to this day. Anyone who goes to a florist and asks for amaryllis will always get the answer.
Fine souvenirs from distant worlds
In the 18th and 19th centuries, high society was keen on floral aesthetics. The magnificent hippeastrums, brought back from their expeditions by plant hunters from the Peruvian Andes, Brazil, or Bolivia, came at just the right time and captured the hearts of Europeans. Through intensive cross-breeding and breeding, hundreds of Hippeastrum hybrids soon emerged. In their native habitat, hippeastrums grow in areas with pronounced dry seasons. However, we know this bulbous plant primarily as a winter-blooming houseplant and, above all, as a great cut flower. The color palette of this exotic beauty ranges from vibrant red and pink to apricot, cream, or white. The amaryllis flower clusters can grow up to twelve centimeters in size and sit atop stems up to 60 centimeters high. Dainty and smaller miniature varieties are now also very popular, as are those with stripes, colored edges, and attractive flower spots. Yellow or double amaryllis are unusual and still quite rare. No matter whether large and compact, small and delicate, single-colored or multi-colored – they are always excitingly beautiful!
Care tips for the flower beauties
AsVase miracleAmaryllis should be placed in sufficiently tall and large containers to prevent these long-stemmed exotic plants from tipping over and their delicate stems from being crushed. Make sure there isn't too much water in the vase, as this can easily rot them. However, since these enormous flower heads are quite thirsty, it's important to check regularly to make sure they still have enough water. A quick tip: Wrap the stems tightly with sticky tape at the cut end to prevent them from splitting and curling up later in the vase. Weak or bent stems can be stabilized with a thin wooden stick.
WithAmaryllis in a potEvery year a floral miracle takes place on the windowsill. To ensure that they bloom in time for Advent and Christmas, the amaryllis bulb should be potted halfway up in a flowerpot with good potting soil in November and watered well. They thrive in a bright, not too warm spot on the windowsill at room temperature. Watering should be moderate over the next few weeks. The water requirement only increases when the flower stalk is clearly visible. If the bulb receives too much water too early, it will only produce leaves but no flowers. The pot should be turned occasionally to ensure the plant grows straight.
With this optimal care, the amaryllis will bloom in time for Christmas!
After flowering, the wilted flower head is cut off so the amaryllis doesn't exhaust itself during seed production. During the growth phase from spring to summer, the long, narrow leaves should receive sufficient water and fertilizer; this allows sufficient reserves from the leaves to be stored in the bulb in the fall. From August onwards, the feeding ration is reduced, and from September onwards, it is stopped completely. At this time, any dried leaves of the amaryllis are also cut off. The bulb then slumbers in the dark for about two months in a dry dormancy before producing new flowers in the winter, just in time for Christmas.
