Amaryllis

Amaryllis, also known as Hippeastrum, originally comes from Central America and the Caribbean. The name Amaryllis comes from the Greek word ‘amarussein’, which means sparkling. This beautiful flower is part of the Daffodil family, and like the whole family, it grows from a flower bulb.

Amaryllis Varieties and Availability

Although the flower, on a small scale, is year-round available. The peak of this flower is in the autumn and winter months. Everybody knows the red Amaryllis, but there are a lot more colors, for example, striped white-green, salmon, white, green, pink, and orange.

The Story of Amaryllis

There are several stories about how the flowers got its name. The best known is a story out of Greek mythology. The girl Amaryllis was so in love with a sheep shepherd that she injured herself on purpose with an arrow. She did this because of Alteo; the shepherd only had an eye for flowers.  At the spot where her blood touched the ground a beautiful flower grew, and this flower was called Amaryllis. The name Hippeastrum means ‘knight star’, Hippie means knight and Astron means star in Greek. The name is probably a reference to the shape of the flowers of the plant. The flower is also known under the name Naked Lady because a flower without leaves looks like a lady without clothes!

Symbolism

This flower symbolizes pride and beauty. The perfect flower to show affection for example at a graduation ceremony or to thank someone. If you are giving an Amaryllis, you are always giving a significant gesture.

Design Suggestions with Amaryllis

We have created some inspiring floral design videos with Amaryllis:

• Luminous Christmas Piece with Amaryllis
• Amaryllis Christmas Bottles
• Stunning Amaryllis Christmas Piece

For more floral design inspiration with Amaryllis, visit our Pinterest mood board!

How It’s Grown: Amaryllis

Are you curious about how Amaryllis is grown? Check out the video we made at grower Van De Ende!

Shop Care Tips

Check the flowers when you receive them, inspect the flowers for any damage. Cut the stems and put them in clean water.

For designers: use a high vase because of the long stems. Are the stems hollow? Then you can place a stick in the stem to support the flowers.