Different Types Of Amaryllis Hippeastrum
In doing some research for this article on Amaryllis flowers I found out some interesting facts. The genuine Amaryllis is a bulb from South Africa with one species which is Amaryllis belladonna. The Amaryllis many of us are familiar with is known as Hippeastrum and they are from Central and South America. I was amazed to discover there are more than 500 different varieties of these flowers. It took botanists half a century to make this determination which they announced in 1987. Even though this distinction has been made, we still use the name Amaryllis for Hippeastrum bulbs.
Whether you want to call them Amaryllis or Hippeastrum, these large trumpet-shaped flowers are spectacular. These beautiful flowers help enhance indoor scenery during the winter. Red and white are the most popular colors for Amaryllis, but they are also available in many colors such as green, orange, pink, and salmon.
There are many different varieties of Amaryllis flowers. Below we highlighted the most popular ones:
Cybister
These bulbs have exotic looking blooms. The flowers can look like a tropical bird and are smaller when compared to other Amaryllis blooms. This type of Amaryllis has grown in popularity over the last few years.
Double Flowering
These are large flowering Amaryllis flowers. They have several layers of petals that give the plant a full appearance.
Large Flowering
This is the most popular and considered the classic type of Amaryllis. The flowers are a single bloom and the plant grows up to 18 – 24 inches.
Nymph
This Amaryllis has very large flowers with many petals. The blooms are nearly as wide as the pot they are planted in.
Small Flowering
As the name suggests these flowers are smaller than the larger flowering Amaryllis but that does not mean they are not as impressive. This type of Amaryllis will produce more flowers per bulb.
Hippeastrum is a tender bulb and needs to be planted indoors unless you live in a warm-weather zone. After you plant the bulb they should flower in 6 to 8 weeks. They can be planted anytime from October to January.
Planting instructions:
- If your bulb does not come with soil or other material to plant it in use multipurpose compost. The pot you use for the bulb should be larger than the bulb. Two-thirds of the bulb should be above the surface.
- The bulb needs to be planted in a well-lit spot in a warm temperature (70°F).
- The plant does not need a lot of water until new leaves start to develop, then you can start watering regularly.
- Be prepared to have to stake the flowers, especially if it is a large-flowered Amaryllis.
- Turn the plant regularly to prevent the plant from leaning towards the light.
- Once the bulb has flowered, move it to a cooler location to lengthen the flowering time.
While these plants are beautiful they are toxic to cats and dogs, so keep them away.
For care, after this flower has bloomed, be sure to read our post on Don’t Throw Out Your Amaryllis Bulb.
