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Simple, Splendid Amaryllis

© Susan Ward

If you don't have at least one Amaryllis, you're depriving yourself of one of the best winter-flowering plants. Over 300 years of hybridization has produced a plant that flowers reliably and spectacularly in the depths of our winter season. How do the amazing Dutch do it? Karen Weir-Jimerson and Bev Rossow had the chance to visit an Amaryllis propagation facility in the Netherlands; The Birth of an Amaryllis tells what they saw on their visit (with photographs by Peter Krumhardt).

Tender flowering bulbs, Amaryllis blooms look like giant lilies, which isn't surprising as the Amaryllidaceae, or family of amaryllis and related plants, is part of the giant group Lilianae. The word 'Amaryllis' means sparkling, an apt choice for such a showy performer. According to Sara Williams in "The Amaryllis", Eduard Frederich Poeppig discovered the Amaryllis on a plant hunting expedition in Chile in 1828. He was so delighted with his discovery that he uttered "loud shouts of joy, to which his faithful dog and sole companion and witness of his delight responded with howls of equal delight."

I know exactly how he felt when I see the huge, brilliantly coloured flowers of my Amaryllis' unfurl, transforming my home into a lush tropical garden. Some Amaryllis blooms are a full 16 inches wide, and they're available in colours ranging from pure white through true red, with all shadings in between. Some have central contrasting star shapes, stripes, or edgings, which I think makes them especially beautiful. Marie-Lynn Richard has an ever-growing collection of gorgeous Amaryllis photos at her Mad About Amaryllis site.

Shopping Online

You can also see fabulous photos of Amaryllis and order the ones you like at Botanus.com and Cruickshank's (both Canadian suppliers).

Botanus.com offers a great selection of Terra Cotta Amaryllis Gift Packs for $14 each, and Mammoth Amaryllis, super-sized Amaryllis which produce more blooms, for $16 each.

Cruickshank's also offers a range of Amaryllis' you may not be able to find at your local grocery store, including the Butterfly Amaryllis, with wide, flared green flowers marked with burgundy ($17.95 each), Double Amaryllis, with blooms that look like a flower within a flower, ranging from $14.95 to $19.95 each, depending on variety, and Hadeco Amaryllis, stout-stemmed versions that produce several stems and huge flowers simultaneously, for $19.95 each.

Not that there's anything wrong with the Amaryllis' you're likely to find for sale locally. The "common" Amaryllis is still uncommonly beautiful.

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