Amaryllis Flowers

When we say amaryllis flowers, there are two popular flowering plant species that represent them. They are Amaryllis belladonna and Amaryllis paradisicola, of which the former is a favorite flower for many hobbyists all across the globe. In fact, A. belladonna is simply known as amaryllis or belladonna lily. It is a deciduous, perennial herbaceous plant, grown from bulbs. In this article, we will discuss flowers of amaryllis family, and growing and care of A. belladonna in detail.

Amaryllis Family Flowers: Identification

The amaryllis genus is classified under the taxonomic family Amaryllidaceae of the order Asparagales. It is a highly diverse plant family that encompasses plants having lily like flowers, such as snowdrops, clivia (bush lily), narcissus, scadoxus, etc. Total number of species identified under this family is debatable. It is stated that 60 genus of amaryllis family are identified, which altogether have 800 species. Similar to the common amaryllis flowers, the blooms of this family are borne in leafless stems. Each flower has six tepals arranged in a funnel shape, and bears six stamens and an inferior ovary.

How to Grow Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors?

Indigenous to dry regions of South Africa, amaryllis requires dry condition to remain in dormant state. When the required dry resting period is provided, amaryllis flowers are produced in late summer. Besides the large, showy flowers, the popularity of amaryllis as an ornamental plant is partly due to their ability of producing healthy flowers in indoor environment. Grow them as houseplants and you can enjoy the beauty of bright amaryllis indoors. Many avid gardeners succeed in inducing amaryllis bloom in cold season too.

For growing amaryllis indoors (or in outdoor garden), you can start from seeds or bulbs. Planting bulbs in October is preferred for quick growing, while with seeds, you need additional effort for germination and transplantation. You can select amaryllis of different shades, like white striped, pink, orange, salmon, purple and scarlet red color. The basic requirements for indoor gardening of amaryllis are blemish free amaryllis bulb, correct sized container (about 6-7 inches in diameter) and potting mixture.

Make sure you choose large amaryllis bulbs with roots for production of maximum blooms. Once you received them, soak the bottom of the bulbs in lukewarm water for some time before you start with your container gardening project. This will help in quick development of roots and vegetative parts. Fill the containers with potting media to about ¾ of the total height. Make a planting hole in the potting mix (roughly the size of bulb), and gently place the bulb without damaging the fragile roots. Cover bulb with soil and press down soil to secure it. Ideally, the neck of bulb should be even with the top soil level.

How to Care for Amaryllis?

After plantation of amaryllis bulbs, water them sparingly in the first few weeks. Remember to place the pots in a areas that receive maximum sunlight. Providing optimal light and temperature (preferably 68-70° F) promote fast growth of stem and leaves. If you notice development of green shoots, increase watering frequency. In late autumn or early spring, green, fleshy, strap-shaped foliage develop from the bulb in two rows. The leaves are about 2-3 cm width and grow to about 30 cm long.

The leaves die back in late spring, and the bulbs enter dormant phase till flowering season. Late summer marks the beginning of blooming period for amaryllis. Shortly, one or two upright growing, leafless flowering stalks of about 30-60 cm height develop from each bulb. The amaryllis flowers are borne in clusters of 2 to 12 in the tip of the stalk. They remain in bloom for two months, after which the flowering stalk withers. By this time, amaryllis care involves cutting down the spent blooms and green portions to induce second time flowering.

So, follow simple amaryllis flower care, and you can enjoy larger blooms for more than 7 weeks. If you don't have a green thumb and are new to gardening, then also you can grow amaryllis bulbs. Many people opt for colorful silk amaryllis for room decoration. Even though they are artificial flowers, these silk flowers look real and are very difficult to make out for onlookers.