Revolutionary
changes have occurred
during recent times in
the amaryllis family. Not so
long ago variety belladonna
was the most popular member
of this family. But at present
it seems to have out-lived
its popularity. The American
hybrids are now out in front
as far as the amaryllis is concerned.
Amaryllis belladonna ... believe
it or not, used to be called
the "naked lady" plant. That's
because the plants were bare
of foliage when the flowers
were in bloom. The foliage appeared
only after the flowers
had died down. But the new
hybrids yield both flowers and
foliage at the same time. The
naked look has disappeared.
One rather interesting feature
of the new hybrids is that
several changes within the
strain have occurred. The original
types were more or less
star-shaped and the breeders
held this characteristic in high
esteem. But the recent trend
is toward a rounded shape and
a shorter trumpet.
Size is no longer the distinguishing
mark of a high quality
amaryllis. Texture and coloring
are just as important.
In fact, the brilliant reds now
appearing among the new hybrids
are seldom encountered
elsewhere in the plant kingdom.
And the shades are seemingly
restricted to the amaryllis.
The flowers run through
a wide range of colors, including
red, orange and scarlet.
In the outside garden these
hues are exceedingly attractive
but under artificial light they
become quite radiant. Keep
in mind, too, that the amaryllis
shows up splendidly as a cut
flower. Removing the pollen increases
the life of the cut flower
and keeps the petals cleaner
and more attractive.
The proper bulb size for
planting depends on the manner
In which the plants are
be grown. For pot culture obtain
the largest bulbs available.
For planting in the outdoor garden
a size measuring from 2 1/2
to 2 3/4 inches should suffice.
In the garden the roots are not
restrained; they can stretch
out as far as possible. But
in a pot the roots tend to become
cramped, thus making
large-sized bulb desirable.
The amaryllis thrives in many areas; it wants its
place in the sun but also requires
protection from the
wind. It is also susceptible
attack from extremely cold
weather and the young plants
are a very attractive delicacy
for many forms of bird life.
