Amaryllis
The
genus name Amaryllis comes from the Greek word "amarysso," which
means "to sparkle." In Vergil's Eclogues, Amaryllis was the name of a
shepherdess who shed her own blood to prove her true love and, in doing so,
inspired the naming of this bright red flower.
There are two species of Amaryllis; however, the better known of the
two, Amaryllis belladonna. The botanical name for this flower, which is Hippeastrum
spp, is a native of South America. These
flowers are typically large and trumpet shaped, with stems ranging from 18-30
inches long. Their colours vary from bold reds and oranges to white and pale
pinks. Modern hybrids of Amaryllis
flowers are called Giant Amaryllis flowers or the Royal Dutch amaryllis
flowers. The flowers size and ease with which it can be grown has increased the
popularity of the flower worldwide.
Amaryllis
performs best when grown under warm (70 to 75 F) temperatures for 9 to 10
months to promote flowering and vegetative growth, followed by 2 to 3 months of
either cool dry storage or cool growing conditions. Of all flowering bulbs, amaryllis
are the easiest to bring to bloom. They tend to have a vase life of approximately
10 days depending on the temperature. Generally they are available from September to
May.
Elizabeth Marsh’s
Amaryllis tips
Fortunately, Amaryllis
are typically very easy to look after; however to keep them looking their best
follow the below tips!
·
Trim
the ends half an inch from the end
·
Place
them in a vase that will support the stem as this can go soft as the flowers
mature and open
·
Be
aware that the warmer the temperature they are kept in, the faster they will
open
·
Remove
the sepals as the tend to go brown and look quite ugly
·
They
look very nice on their own with grass, as you can see from one of our own
designs – the red amaryllis pictured at the top
·
For
a more traditional look, you can team them with roses
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