Hippeastrum Cherry Nymph - Amaryllis

The Hippeastrum 'Cherry Nymph' is a magnificent variety, very popular in the United States during the end-of-year festivities. And one look is enough to understand why! With its large double flowers of a velvety and vibrant cherry red, it blends perfectly with the festive winter decor, with the Christmas tree, sparkling garlands, and fireplace! Its large bulb can produce up to 4 flowering stems, each carrying 4 plump funnel-shaped flowers. Spectacular, with rapid growth, it offers an extraordinary flowering in the heart of winter. Perfect for bringing colour into the house while the garden is still asleep.

From the Amaryllidaceae family, Hippeastrum are native to South America and Central America. They are cultivated in pots in our latitudes and bloom indoors during the Christmas season. In full bloom, the 'Cherry Nymph' variety forms a clump 50 cm (20in) tall (sometimes more) and 30 cm (12in) wide. The double flowers, with wide flared funnels, measure up to 20 cm (8in) in diameter. This immense flowering is composed of numerous pointed, slightly undulating, thick and iridescent petals. The cherry red petals are sometimes marked with white at their tips. The heart of the flower releases smaller petals which are actually petal-like stamens. 4 flowers proudly tower over two to four large and thick hollow stems. Positioned back to back, they together form a unique composition. The leaves are deciduous, ribbon-shaped, and dark green and glossy. They dry up and disappear a few weeks after flowering, when the bulb enters its dormant phase.

Planting an Amaryllis is a very rewarding experience. 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 them as a Christmas gift, remember to plant them at the beginning of November. Create magnificent winter bouquets by combining amaryllis with foliage or budding branches of flowering cherry or Japanese quince.

Speaking of Amaryllis here is actually a misuse of language directly related 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 denomination Amaryllis was retained for both. And to distinguish them, the mention Hippeastrum was added for the first one and Belladonna for the second one. It must be said that both deserve this name well: Amaryllis means "sparkling" and, in classical Greek literature, the plant was the subject of a pastoral poem where the beautiful shepherdess Amaryllis dies of a love that will only be accessible to her after a terrible wound. From her blood will emerge splendid bunches of red flowers. Since then, the term has been synonymous with haughty beauty.