Hippeastrum Marrakech

Hippeastrum 'Marrakech'® is a bulb that is resistant to light frost and can be grown in the ground in many regions without the need to dig up the bulbs in autumn. This beautiful variety offers flowers of a tender yellow with a pale green throat in summer. Its bulb, smaller than the Amaryllis that is forced to bloom for Christmas, also produces smaller but much more abundant flowers! It can produce up to 4 flowering stems, each carrying 3 to 5 funnel-shaped flowers. The floral stems, sturdy but stout, withstand the wind well. Plant them in small groups in a sunny but not scorching exposure or in partial shade. It is also a lovely plant for decorating the terrace or balcony.

From the Amaryllidaceae family, Hippeastrum is native to South and Central America. They are generally grown in pots in our latitudes and flower indoors during Christmas. Hippeastrum 'Marrakech' is a variety developed in the last twenty years by the Dutch company Barnhoorn Hippeastrum, with the aim of obtaining an Amaryllis that is hardy enough to be grown outdoors, even in cold climates. The result is a smaller, more floriferous amaryllis, tolerating temperatures as low as -8°C (17.6°F) for a very short period of time. The vegetation emerges from the ground in spring and disappears at the end of summer.

In full bloom, the 'Marrakech' variety forms a clump 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) high in full sun and 30cm (12in) wide. In partial shade, the stems can reach 50cm (20in) in height. The plant blooms in June-July. The flowers, 6 to 12cm (2 to 5in) wide, are funnel-shaped and flared. Each one is composed of 6 pointed, slightly undulate, thick and iridescent petals. The heart of the flower is a tender green, releasing long yellow stamens. 4 to 5 flowers positioned back to back gracefully top 3 to 4 hollow stems. The leaves are linear, ribbon-like and shiny dark green. They dry up and disappear a few weeks after flowering, when the bulb goes into dormancy.

Planting a garden Amaryllis is very rewarding, and there is now a beautiful range available with various colours and shapes. This plant is very easy to grow and its growth is very rapid. This 'Marrakech' variety, with its light and bright flowers, naturally complements white, blue, red or purple flowers. Plant it in small groups, it will work wonders in a flower bed, border or in a beautiful enamelled terracotta pot, on the terrace or balcony. Planted in well-drained soil, the 'Marrakech' Amaryllis will come back every year, provided they are well protected under a thick layer of mulch in regions where the temperature drops below -8°C (17.6°F). They will also make excellent cut flowers, with a long vase life.

To speak of an 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 designation Amaryllis was retained for both. And to distinguish them Hippeastrum was added to the first and Belladonna to the second. It must be said that both deserve this name: Amaryllis means "sparkling" and, in classical Greek literature, the plant was the subject of a pastoral poem in which the beautiful shepherdess Amaryllis dies of a love that will only be accessible to her after a terrible wound. From her blood will emerge beautiful bunches of red flowers. Since then, the term has become synonymous with lofty beauty.