Amaryllis 

Other Common Names:  Jersey Lily, Belladonna Lily or Naked Lady

Temperature:  60-75 degrees Fahrenheit

The Amaryllis is so hard to describe that the only way to appreciate the beauty of this flower is to see how stunning it is in person.  The Amaryllis flower goes back to the times of Hercules when a girl named Amaryllis was in search to find the perfect flower to bring to Alteo, the flower would be so unique that he would fall in love with her.  To this day the Amaryllis symbolizes pride, determination and radiant beauty.  So to all the single ladies out there this maybe the way to steal his heart.

Amaryllis is a one of a kind plant.  They are the easiest out of all flowering plants to get to bloom.  Keep your free plant in indirect light.  Amaryllis does not like the cold and will freeze and die.  The soil needs to be kept moist but not wet.  When growing Amaryllis inside you should fertilize the plant every two to three weeks, ask your local gardening store what fertilize would work best for you.

Amaryllis bloom from late December until the end of June.  These flowers are huge and absolutely gorgeous.  They come in so many different colors such as red, white, pink, salmon and orange.  They are also many striped and multicolored varieties.  Each bulb produces one or two leafless stems that grow to be thirty to sixty centimeters tall.  Then you will have a cluster of two to twelve funnel shaped flowers.

After the Amaryllis is done blooming you may prune it by cutting the old flowers off from the stem and continue to water and fertilize as normal.  The Amaryllis is becoming a very popular gift for the holidays since it is in bloom around Christmas.  Be careful as you give this plant as a gift, because if the Hercules story is true you don’t want to have too many men running after you.

Enjoy your Free Plant!