They have been cultivated by gardeners since the 1700s, and have proved popular ever since. Not all plants sold as Amaryllis *are* Amaryllis, however - there are a number of similar looking plants that are now all grouped together as Amaryllis.
The bulb of an Amaryllis plant is generally around 7cm in diameter, with fully grown leaves around 40cm long.
One or two stems may grow from the bulb, and could reach up to 60cm. At the top of each stem is a collection of flower heads, with 6 petals each. The color of the flowers will depend on the actual plant, but common colors are white, purple and pink.
In general, you should expect each stem to support four flowers.
Amaryllis plants do not fare well in the Winter, so you'll want to be planting them in the spring, ready to bloom in the summer. It will take around 7 weeks to start to bloom.
If the stems on the plants begin to sway or bend, you may find it advisable to support the stem with a stick, to prevent it from breaking.
Once the flowers start to die, it is important to keep the plant well pruned - cut off any flower heads that are dead, so the rest of the plant does not have to waste any energy on them. Once all the flowers are dead, cut the whole stem off of the plant, ready to grow again. You may notice leaves growing at this point, it is important not to cut them off.
When you're ready to put your Amaryllis plant outside, many gardeners will advise you to keep it in the pot - this will help protect it from insects, and Amaryllis plants grow better in pots than in the open garden. This will also come in handy when it's time to bring the plant back indoors.
You must bring the plant back inside before the first frost of the winter, as it is unlikely to survive outside.
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