A popular Christmas flower for indoor bulb forcing is the Amaryllis. However, the plant usually marketed under this name is not really an amaryllis.
 The only true Amaryllis is a monotypic genus containing only one species,which is the Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis belladonna), a native of South Africa. It is often confused with the Hippeastrum genus of flowering bulbs commonly sold for blooming indoors, which also belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family.
Hippeastrum is a genus of about 80 species and 600+ hybrids and cultivars of bulbous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Between 20-25 new hippeastrum cultivars come on the market every year (and 10-15 are discontinued). Even though most stores and nurseries sell only few of these, many others are for sale on the Internet. As of 2006 there were 194 different cultivars plus many species of hippeastrums for sale at online stores and auctions, listed under both "hippeastrum" and "amaryllis."
| Hippeastrum Species |
|---|
Hippeastrum aglaiae
Hippeastrum ambiguum
Hippeastrum andreanum
Hippeastrum argentinum
Hippeastrum aulicum
Hippeastrum blossfeldiae
Hippeastrum blumenavium
Hippeastrum bukasovii
Hippeastrum breviflorum
Hippeastrum calyptratum
Hippeastrum candidum
Hippeastrum cybister
Hippeastrum doraniae
Hippeastrum elegans
Hippeastrum evansiae
Hippeastrum forgetii
Hippeastrum gayanum
Hippeastrum goianum
Hippeastrum lapacense
Hippeastrum leopoldii
Hippeastrum machupijchense
Hippeastrum maracasum
Hippeastrum oconequense
Hippeastrum organense
Hippeastrum papilio
Hippeastrum pardinum
Hippeastrum petiolatum
Hippeastrum psittacinum
Hippeastrum puniceum
Hippeastrum reginae
Hippeastrum reticulatum
Hippeastrum solandriferum
Hippeastrum striatum
Hippeastrum stylosum
Hippeastrum traubii
Hippeastrum vittatum |
Flower CharacteristicsThere are five types: 1) single flower; 2) double flower; 3) miniature; 4) cybister; and 5) trumpet. Cybisters have extremely thin petals and are often described as spider-like. Trumpets, as the name suggests, have flared, tube-shaped flowers. Single, double and miniature bulbs are the ones typically sold by nurseries and other stores for the holidays in December and for Valentine's Day and Easter.
The flower colors include red, rose, pink, white, orange, yellow and pale green with variations on these including different colored stripes and edges on the petals. Some flowers have uniform colors or patterns on all six petals while others have more pronounced colors on the upper petals than on the lower ones.
Growing hippeastrums in potsHippeastrums are a popular bulb for forcing indoors because they can grow several inches in just one day. Hippeastrum cultivars do well in either clay or plastic pots but those in clay pots may need to be watered more frequently than those in plastic. Pick a pot with open drain holes that is three inches wider than the bulb. Position it so the top half is above the soil line. Use any good commercial potting soil and top it off with a light covering of orchid mix or sphagnum moss mulch.
Put the bulb where it will get some sun everyday and water it once. Care should be taken not to overwater: after the first watering do not water again until growth is visible or the soil has become bone dry, and then water sparingly. Too much water will cause the bulb and its roots to rot -- at this stage the bulb is not capable of absorbing much water. Watering can be increased to weekly after an eight inch flower spike with bud or two ten inch leaves have appeared. Do not feed the bulb while it is blooming.
Most new hippeastrums take between two weeks and three months to bloom after they have been potted. They may rest a few weeks and then rebloom or they may be finished for the year. New bulbs usually produce a flower spike with four flowers but two or three flowers are not uncommon.
Some hippeastrums grow very long stems that may bend or even break under the weight of the flowers. Stake these with a wire plant support or by inserting a thin bamboo stick or dowel in the soil next to the bulb and then tying it to the stem with wire ties or string.
Growing hippeastrums in waterThere are special vases designed to hold hippeastrums that are similar to those used to force hyacinths. Otherwise, it should be placed in a jar or vase that is slightly larger than the bulb.
First soak the roots in room temperature water to make them pliable. Then fill the bottle about half way with rock chips. Carefully spread the roots in this while adding more rock chips until the roots and the bottom two-thirds of the bulb are completely covered. Add water up to the base of the bulb (and no further) and keep it watered at that level.
Pour out all the water every other week and replace with new. Adding a tablespoon of activated carbon (charcoal) to the rock chips will help prevent the growth of algae.
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