Hippeastrum Lemon Star - Amaryllis

Amaryllis 'Lemon Star' is a new variety of Hippeastrum that stands out for its unusual coloration: its large flowers are cream-coloured with a lemon yellow throat that reflects onto the petals, giving the whole flower a pale yellow tone full of tenderness and freshness. The bulb produces one to three flower stalks, with flowering occurring over several weeks. This variety, with its indefinable charm, will bring a touch of spring into the house in the heart of winter.

From the Amaryllidaceae family, Hippeastrum plants are native to South and Central America. They are grown in pots in our latitudes and bloom indoors around Christmas.

In full bloom, the 'Lemon Star' variety forms a clump that reaches 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) in height and 30 cm (12in) in width. The funnel-shaped flowers measure up to 18 cm (7in) in diameter. Each flower has 6 wide and thick petals, slightly undulating and iridescent, with a white colour tinged with yellow. The centre of the flower is a brighter yellow and releases a bouquet of long, curved stamens of the same shade. 4 to 5 flowers gracefully tower above one to three large and thick hollow stalks. Positioned back-to-back, they form a unique composition. The leaves are deciduous, ribbon-shaped, and glossy dark green. They turn yellow and dry out a few weeks after flowering, while the large bulb enters a dormant period.

Planting an Amaryllis is a very rewarding experience. The Hippeastrum Lemon Star is very easy to grow and its growth is extremely fast; 6 to 10 weeks after planting, the flowers are already blooming. You can enjoy them throughout the winter. If you want to give it as a Christmas gift, remember to plant it at the beginning of November. Preferably place it in the sun in front of a window, for example. Trim the stem when the flowers have faded to encourage new flower stalks to emerge.

Did you know? The Latin name "Amaryllis" was the subject of heated discussions among botanists: originally, this name actually referred to another plant, which looked similar and was native to South Africa: Amaryllis belladonna. When Carl Linnaeus used this name to refer to it, as well as to 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 preserved for the African species Belladonna but should no longer be used as the Latin name for Hippeastrum.