Anniversary |
Amaryllis is a favourite of florists and flower aficionados
alike, with its tall, thick stems and large, colourful flowers.
This veritable myriad of colours includes red, pink, white, cream and
orange, and even striped and variegated shades of several other colours.
The stems of the amaryllis can reach upwards of 60cm and 15cm in
circumference.
From a genus of over 70 flower varieties, the amaryllis is native
to South Africa, the Americas, Argentina, Mexico and parts of the
Caribbean.
A bulbous plant variety, the amaryllis is popular with gardeners and is
often sent as a gift at Christmas. The amaryllis bulb lies dormant until
late summer, when one or two stems will sprout from the bulb. The actual
process of bulb cultivation is a long and labor intensive process, hence
why amaryllis bulbs are often less commonly available and slightly more
expensive than other flowering bulb varieties.
The amaryllis flowers first gained popularity at the beginning of
the 18th Century and was a particular favourite of the wealthy cotton
plantation owners in the Caribbean. Indeed, not only where slaves
transported but the bulbs of the amaryllis were also sent out on the
same cargo. The sheer luxury of the amaryllis was treasured and adored,
and seemed to be a sign of sheer opulence at the time.
Another name sometimes seen for the amaryllis is "hippeastrum", and
although the two plants appear near identical to the untrained eye, they
are actually from totally different parts of the world. In 1837, the
Honorable Reverend William Herbert - Dean of Manchester - coined the
common named “Horseman’s Star” for the hippeastrum.
Our love of the amaryllis has continued to this day and now more than
ever, florists are using the flower increasingly often. Indeed a
good florists will often keep stock of this opulent flower, but
it always best to seek out the amaryllis in advance, as it may be
necessary for the florist to order the flowers especially for you. The
effort required in the continued cultivation of amaryllis is often
reflected in the price, making it more expensive per stem than more
common flower varieties. Like all good things in life however, they come
at a cost!
When you consider that an amaryllis bulb will only flower in its third
or fourth year, it’s easy to see why it holds its price. Only a select
few flowers which we see in floristry require such care - Birds
of Paradise for example, which also take several years to bloom.
Consider this: the vase of amaryllis flowers in the florists
shop window are probably the result of a bulb which was planted some
three or four years ago. This makes the farming and cultivation of
amaryllis a relatively long term investment by floristry standards!
Did you know?
A single amaryllis bulb can last for 75 years, so make sure that after
flowering you don’t throw it away! |
Back to the top