Hippeastrum Santiago - Amaryllis

The Amaryllis 'Santiago' is a recent Dutch variety of Hippeastrum, remarkably colourful, fragrant and prolific in flowering. Its flowers are single, not very large but numerous, shaped like elegant bicolour trumpets where wide dark red stripes spread out on a snowy white background. Their kiwi green throat releases a fragrance that curiously resembles that of blackcurrant. The overall visual effect is fantastic and the fragrance superb, both floral, tangy and fruity.

Native to subtropical regions of Central and South America, Hippeastrum belong to the Amaryllidaceae family, generally grown in pots in our latitudes. In full bloom, the 'Santiago' variety forms a clump 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) tall and 30 cm (12in) wide. It does not offer huge flowers, but they are truly elegant. The flower, whose shape resembles that of trumpet lilies, is composed of 6 slender petals at their tips, bearing wide dark red stripes on a white background. The heart of the flower is green, releasing a bouquet of long, curved yellow-green stamens. 4 to 6 flowers overhang a large, sturdy hollow stem. Positioned back to back, they form a unique composition.

Planting an Amaryllis bulb is easy and rewarding. Growth is extremely fast; 6 to 10 weeks after planting, the flowers are already in bloom. You can enjoy them throughout the winter. To give it as a Christmas gift, consider planting it in a pot indoors at the beginning of November.

There is a misuse of language linked to an error made in the 18th century. Linnaeus used this name for the American species. However, the name was already used for another species, this one from South Africa. The designation Amaryllis has been retained for both. To distinguish them, the mention Hippeastrum is added for the first one and Belladona for the second one.