Hippeastrum Candy Cream - Amaryllis

Hippeastrum 'Candy Cream' (also known as 'Candy Queen') is a variety that owes its name to the bright pink colour of its flowers, as well as its tall flower stems. The centre of the flowers is white, as are the stamens. It is truly a sumptuous variety. It will be perfect in winter bouquets, combined with fir green foliage, holly, or white forced hyacinths indoors.

From the Amaryllidaceae family, Hippeastrum are native to South and Central America. They are grown in pots in our latitudes and bloom inside houses around Christmas time. At full bloom, the 'Candy Queen' variety reaches a height of 65 to 75cm (26 to 30in) and a width of 30cm (12in). The flowers, shaped like wide flared funnels, measure up to 23cm (9in) in diameter. This immense flowering consists of 6 wide and thick, shiny and iridescent petals, coloured in a pink shade leaning towards red. The heart of the flower is white, releasing a bouquet of long curved stamens of the same tone. 4 to 5 flowers tower above on one or two large and thick hollow stems. Positioned back-to-back, they form a unique composition. The glossy dark green leaves are ribbon-like. They turn yellow and then dry out some time after flowering, while the large bulb goes into dormancy.

Planting an amaryllis is a very rewarding experience. Hippeastrum 'Candy Cream' is very easy to grow and its growth is extremely rapid. The flowers bloom 6 to 10 weeks after planting. You can enjoy them throughout winter. Plant it at the beginning of November if you want to give it as a Christmas gift. Ideally, position it in the sun, in front of a window for example. Trim the stem when the flowers fade to promote floral regrowth.

The Latin name "Amaryllis" was the subject of heated discussions among botanists: originally, this name referred to another plant, similar in appearance and native to South Africa: Amaryllis belladonna. When Carl von Linne used this name to refer to it, as well as to the Hippeastrum (are you still following?), there was an outcry and the battle raged on until 1987 when the botanists decided: the Latin name Amaryllis is retained for the African species Belladonna but should no longer be used as the Latin name for Hippeastrum.