The amaryllis, native to Central and South America, is a houseplant known for its large blooms. It is a common gift plant during the holiday season. To prolong the bloom time, remove the tips of pollen-bearing stalks inside the flower. After flowering, cut the flower stalks all the way back and maintain the leaves for the next bloom cycle in around 15 months. Amaryllis has a hardy, perennial cousin called the "naked lady" or "resurrection lily" (Amaryllis belladonna), It’s great in outdoor perennial beds in our mountain valleys. It produces spring leaves that soon die back in late June and then later in summer, flowers emerge on bare stalks with no leaves.
Growing Home: The Amaryllis
