Hippeastrum Rosy Star - Amaryllis

Amaryllis 'Rosy Star' is a delightful variety of hippeastrum, with its large white flowers beautifully flushed and sprinkled with bright pink around an apple green throat. Its large, thick and iridescent flowers, of an almost unreal beauty, reflect light superbly. Each bulb often produces two flower stalks each bearing four magnificent flowers. 

Originating from the subtropical regions of Central and South America, Hippeastrum are frost-sensitive plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, typically grown in pots in our latitudes. When in full bloom, the Rosy Star variety forms a clump 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) tall and 30 cm (12in) wide. It has very round, wide flowers with a particularly thick and fleshy substance, which contributes to their longevity. The flower consists of overlapping rounded petals, white in colour, heavily tinged with true pink on the upper half. The flower's centre is green, releasing a bouquet of long, pale yellow, white-based curved stamens. Four very large flowers, 22 cm (9in) in diameter, dominantly tower over a thick hollow stalk that will soon be followed by another. Positioned back-to-back, they form a unique composition. The leaves are ribbon-like and green. They turn yellow and then dry out some time after flowering, while the large bulb enters a dormant phase.

Planting an Amaryllis is a very rewarding experience. Hippeastrum is very easy to grow and its growth is extremely rapid; 6 to 10 weeks after planting, the flowers are already blooming. You can enjoy them throughout the winter. To give it as a Christmas gift, consider planting it at the beginning of November. The Rosalie variety doesn't need companions to showcase its obvious beauty. You can plant some simple snowdrop bulbs at its base, just to dress up its slightly stiff stalks. Ideally, place it in direct sunlight, for example in front of a window. Trim the stem when the flowers have faded to encourage re-flowering.

Amaryllis 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 being used for another beautiful flower, this one from South Africa. Conventionally, the denomination Amaryllis has been retained for both. To distinguish them, the name Hippeastrum is added to the first one and Belladona to the second. It must be said that both deserve this name well: Amaryllis means 'sparkling' and, in classical Greek literature, the plant was the subject of a pastoral poem where the beautiful shepherdess Amaryllis dies of a love that will only be accessible to her after a terrible wound. From her blood, gorgeous bunches of red flowers emerge.