Amaryllis
Also called Knight's star lily, Barbados lily.
| Light | bright indirect light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 7 days in the growing season, every 14 in winter |
| Humidity | medium |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 60 cm (24 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats toxic, dogs toxic |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, Barbados Lily (Hippeastrum spp.) entry.
Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. The ASPCA lists Hippeastrum species, as Barbados lily, as toxic to cats and dogs through lycorine and other alkaloids. Keep the bulb out of reach. Keep it where an animal that eats houseplants cannot reach it, and speak to a vet if one does. In South Africa telephone the Poison Information Helpline on 0861 555 777; in the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.
An amaryllis is a bulb bought for one thing: a thick stem and four enormous trumpets in the middle of winter, roughly six to eight weeks after it is potted. In the north the bulbs are potted from October to January, which is why they arrive in the shops as a Christmas present. In South Africa they are planted in the spring and early summer months, and a November planting gives flowers at Christmas there too. Pot into something barely bigger than the bulb, with the top third standing proud, and water sparingly until the shoot moves. The part people skip is afterwards. Cut the spent stem, keep the leaves fed and watered all summer, then rest the bulb dry and cool for two months, and it will flower again.
Ailments observed
| It will not flower | A bulb that was not fed and watered through the summer after it flowered. Keep the leaves growing all summer with a fortnightly feed, then give it a dry rest of eight weeks in a cool dark place before starting it again. |
|---|---|
| A soft or mushy base to the stem | Water sitting in the neck of the bulb, or a pot too large for it. Water round the rim only. Repot into a snug pot with gritty compost and leave the top third of the bulb clear of the surface. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner, Statement plants, Plants for a balcony or a small space
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