Amaryllis is a genus of two species of flowering bulbs – Amaryllis belladonna and Amaryllis paradisicola. These two species belong to the Amaryllidaceae family and are native to South Africa.
They produce fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers on top of tall stems. These beauties are attractive to butterflies, birds and bees, and lovely as cut flowers.
The genus name comes from the Greek “amarysso”, which means “to sparkle”.
The name is derived from a poem by Virgil, in which a shepherdess named Amaryllis had unrequited love for a gardener named Alteo. She walked to his door daily for one month and pierced her own heart each day with a golden arrow. The blood from Amaryllis’ heart creates beautiful flowers along the path. The new flower was called – Amaryllis.
Amaryllis symbolizes self-confidence and pride.
These exotic flowers are a great source of pride for gardeners around the world. They represent confidence, which makes them a great gift choice when congratulating someone.
Amaryllis is also the common name for the genus Hippeastrum which was separated from the genus Amaryllis in the 19th century.
Hybridization of the Amaryllis began centuries ago. The hybrids we commonly call “Amaryllis” are classified in the genus Hippeastrum and they are often, but incorrectly known as Amaryllis.
There are some morphological differences between Amaryllis belladonna and Amaryllis paradisicola, but they are subtle and minor.
The most visible ones are that Amaryllis paradisicola has leaves that are broad and tongue-like, with short hairs on both sides of the leaves, while Amaryllis belladonna has narrowly strap-like leaves.
Amaryllis belladonna is also known as “Belladonna Lily” or “Naked Lady”, because its flowers bloom before the strap-shaped leaves develop.
The phenomenon of flowering before the leaves appear is known as hysteranthy. It is a strange phenomenon present in many geophytes such as Urginea maritima and Scilla autumnalis.
