What is so amazing about the amaryllis?

Amaryllis belladonna is originally from South Africa’s Cape region. There it is commonly called the Cape belladonna, the belladonna lily and the naked lady. In South Africa you will see showy bold, strappy foliage in fall and winter. By early summer, the foliage dies down and bare scapes (flower stalks) emerge about six weeks later. In bloom, it appears that these leafless stalks are growing right out of the soil. These “naked ladies” are topped with a cluster of up to 12 sweet-smelling, trumpet-shaped blooms. It is rated hardy for Zones 8-10 so it might be worth a trial in a place like southern Vancouver Island. For our hardiness zone, the bulb will have to be planted below the soil surface. I suspect that in order for the bulb to survive the wet season, they might have to be lifted to avoid rotting.

 

The amaryllis we commonly grow here is actually a generic name for several species in the Hippeastrum genus. It is also a flowering bulb that is native to the Caribbean, Mexico and South America and is often sold as an indoor flowering plant during the holiday season. The genus (part of the botanical name) of this plant used to be Amaryllis, but in 1987 it was ruled in the 14th International Botanical Congress that the name Amaryllis belonged to the South African genus while the tropical America natives were transferred to the genus Hippeastrum. Most commercial Hippeastrum hybrids are derived from just six species.

 

We do have much choice when it comes to choosing an amaryllis to grow. They come in various shades of red, white, pink, salmon and orange as well as many striped and multi-coloured varieties. There are even double amaryllis that are now available in the Double Galaxy group of plants. These beautiful amaryllis produce a flower within a flower but grow much the same as the single types and bloom approximately eight weeks after planting.

 

One of the best things about the bulb with the common name of amaryllis we grow here is that this is not a one-and-done flower. Once they have finished blooming, do not throw them out! It is extremely easy to get these amazing plants to bloom again the following year and actually for many years if you take just a little bit of extra care.

 

Due to their country of origin, these plants do not undergo true dormancy. In cooler climates, plants go into a dormant state or into dormancy as the climatic conditions are not favourable for regular plant growth. Instead, these bulbs go through a rest period after flowering which allows the plant to rest, recover and then bloom again. After the plant is finished blooming, it does keep growing. This is essential as the continued growth of leaves allows photosynthesis to occur, which allows the plant to store energy in the bulb for future leaf growth and flowers.

 

In the natural world, around December, the leaves will yellow and drop off and the plant will stop growing. After the rest period, the amaryllis will again begin growing – first leaves, and, if there was enough energy stored in the bulb, another flower stalk will appear.

 

For your amaryllis, after the bloom has faded, cut off the flower stalk as low as possible. Continue to water and fertilize for the next five or six months, allowing the leaves to continue to develop and grow. In early fall, the leaves will begin to yellow, so reduce the watering and cut the leaves back to about two inches above the top of the bulb.

 

The bulb can be removed from the soil and stored in a cool, dark place (at about 10° C) for six to eight weeks. After this time, pot up with the shoulders of the bulb above the media, place in a bright space and give the bulb a good drink of water.