Apart from the ubiquitous poinsettia, the most popular windowsill plant for the snowy season is the tall, elegant amaryllis. From a big onion-like bulb with papery, brown skin, lustrous, strap-shaped leaves emerge. Then comes the flower stalk, thick as a leek and heading for heaven. Finally, the miracle: a huge, trumpet in shimmering white or peach or red, perhaps with an iridescent throat, or fetching strip or elegant edge to its recurved petals.

Although we call this beautiful bulbous plant an “amaryllis”, it is merely one member of the large family Amaryllidaceae, not actually a member of the genus Amaryllis, which contains only one species, Amaryllis belladonna, known as August lily or belladonna lily Botanically speaking, the “amaryllis” plant we buy for indoor winter bloom is actually a hybrid of the South American genus Hippeastrum. Other amaryllis family genera include Crinum, Sternbergia, Nerine, Lycoris (Naked-lady), Sprekelia (Jacob-lily) and Zephyrantes.

Hippeastrum can be grown outdoors in tropical areas (Zone 9 and 10), but in colder regions, it is commonly used as a winter houseplant. In the last decade or so, there’s been an explosion in the number of amaryllis cultivars on the market – available pre-potted and boxed in supermarkets or as loose bulbs from nurseries or specialty bulb houses. Old favorites like peach-and-white ‘Apple Blossom’, ‘Orange Sovereign’ and pale pink ‘Vera’ are competing with new introductions such as ‘Minerva’ (fire-engine red with white flames), ‘Purple Sensation’ (lipstick pink), ‘White Christmas’ (pure glistening white) and ‘Picotee’ (white with a narrow red margin). Then there are doubles like salmon ‘Lady Jane’, white ‘Jewel’ and ‘Red Peacock’. Smaller flowered cultivars include red ‘Pamela’, red-and-white striped ‘Voodoo’ and ‘Yellow Pioneer’, a new color in amaryllis.

If you buy your amaryllis boxed at the grocers, check that the pot has a drainage hole and the bulb is healthy and firm. If you’re buying a loose bulb, make sure that the bulb is heavy and that the roots are not damaged. You might consider paying a premium of a few more dollars for a top-size bulb to get more blooms; these might run up to $30 each, but will produce more stems and flowers. Because the flowers open sequentially, amaryllis stay in bloom for a long period..

Once you’ve bought your loose amaryllis bulb, plant it right away or store it in a cool (9C or 50F), dry, dark, well-ventilated spot. Unplanted bulbs left too long at room temperature will rot.

When planting a loose bulb, choose a pot just large enough to leave 2 inches (5 cm) of space around the bulb. Use a loamy houseplant potting soil and leave the top half to one-third of the bulb exposed. Water well and place in a sunny window at 15-20C (60-70F). Too little sun and the flower stalks will grow tall and leggy. Withhold water until the flower stalk appears, then resume watering so the soil is moist, but not waterlogged. Rotate the pot occasionally. When the flower buds show color, move the pot out of direct sunshine into a cooler spot to prolong flowering. Feed the plant every two weeks with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer.

To provide a winter’s worth of beautiful flowering amaryllis, pot up new bulbs every 2 weeks. This should give you a parade of blossoms through early spring.

When your amaryllis has finished blooming, cut off the withered blossoms, leaving stalk and leaves to photosynthesize and nourish next year’s embryonic flowers. Move the pot back into direct sun, keep moist, and continue to feed. In spring, after danger of frost is past, the pot can be sunk in the garden in a spot where it will receive about 4 hours of sunshine. Continue to water and feed – abundant leaf growth means more flower stalks the next year. In early September, begin to withhold water and fertilizer, stopping completely by October. Allow the foliage to yellow. Now is the time to let it begin its “rest period”.

Cut off the dead leaves and bring the pot into a cool (16C or 61F) dark spot for 2-3 months, until January or Feburary. About 6 weeks before you want the bulb to flower again, remove about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the soil and top-dress with fresh soil. Try not to disturb the roots as this can affect flowering. Water well and bring into a warm, dark room until the first leaves appear, then bring the plant to a sunny window and keep your fingers crossed.

If your resurrected amaryllis sends up leaves but no flower stalks, be patient. It may just need another year of storing all the energy it requires to produce those sensational blooms.

Adapted from a column that appeared originally in Toronto Gardens

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