Hippeastrum Flaming Striped - Amaryllis

Amaryllis 'Flamming Striped' is a fairly old variety of Hippeastrum, which always captivates with its large, flared flowers with white petals striped and streaked with red-pink. This bulbous plant, which is very easy to grow indoors, brings a beautiful touch of exoticism and tropical lushness to the heart of winter.

Originally from the subtropical regions of Central and South America, Hippeastrum are frost-sensitive plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, generally grown in pots in our latitudes. In full bloom, the 'Flamming Striped' variety forms a clump of 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) in height and 30 cm (12in) in width. It has flowers in the shape of a wide flared funnel ,up to 15 cm (6in) in diameter, composed of 6 wide petals with undulated edges, thick and waxy texture, combining white and pink-red. The heart of the flower is lime green, releasing a cluster of long, curved stamens of the same shade. 4 to 6 flowers overhang a large, thick hollow stem. Positioned back-to-back, they form a unique composition together. The leaves are deciduous, ribbon-like and glossy dark green.

Planting an Amaryllis bulb in a pot in the house is very rewarding. Hippeastrum is very easy to grow and its growth is extremely rapid; 6 to 10 weeks after planting, the flowers are already blooming. You can enjoy them throughout the winter. To give it as a Christmas gift, consider planting it at the beginning of November. Preferably place it to the sun in front of a window, for example. Trim the stem when the flowers have faded to encourage floral regrowth.

Speaking of Amaryllis, there is actually a misuse of language due to an error made in the 18th century. It was Linnaeus himself who used it to name the American species. However, the name was already used for another beautiful flower, this one from South Africa. Conventionally, the name Amaryllis has been retained for both. To distinguish them, the mention Hippeastrum is added for the first one and Belladona for the second one.