AMARYLLIS FLOWER FACTS
ORIGIN
Amaryllis as we know it originally comes from South and Central America and the Caribbean, belongs to the daffodil family and grows from a bulb.
AMARYLLIS OR HIPPEASTRUM?
The botanical name of the Amaryllis is Hippeastrum. This name comes from the Greek and literally means ‘knight star’, referring to the star-shaped petals: hippeus = knight and astron = star. But because everyone recognises the flower as Amaryllis, the names have become synonymous with each other. In our webshop, we always use the botanical names.
CHOICE OF ASSORTMENT
The best-known Amaryllises are the large-flowered cultivars, from which a particularly beautiful assortment is refined. Not only red or white in single or two-tone variations, but also beautiful burgundy, purple, pink or salmon-coloured flowers.
Less well-known are small-flowered species, which nevertheless offer unprecedented possibilities in bouquets and flower arrangements.
There are various groups within the genus based on flower shape: Galaxy Grp, Diamond Grp, Colibri Grp, Double Galaxy Grp, Double Diamond Grp, Double Colibri Grp, Butterfly Grp, Trumpet Grp and the Spider Grp, among which the attractive Cybisters. They all are placed in the category with the orchid or spider types.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING AMARYLLIS FLOWERS?
- Check the length and the number of buds per stem.
- The ripeness stage is expressed in stages from 1 to 5. The Amaryllis is usually offered dry in boxes in stage 1.
- It is important that the flowers are stored in a cool place to prevent ripening.
- When purchasing Amaryllis, it is important that the flower is free from pests and diseases. The flower can sometimes show Botrytis (= dots or smallpox). The flower cover petals can also be limp, dried or shrivelled or become glassy and / or discolour due to low RV and too long storage. The stems are sometimes limp (flexion coefficient) to crack or are dried. This is usually due to too long storage or inferior quality.
- Occasionally, red stripes appear along the stem, the so-called ‘fire stalks’. These have no negative influence on the shelf life.
CARE TIPS FOR PROFESSIONALS
- Cut Amaryllis stems a few centimeters with a sharp secateurs or a sharp knife.
- Place the stems in clean buckets or vases with clean water, with a preservative in it, preferably a special product for bulb flowers. A preservative ensures that the flowers open beautifully and the water is not contaminated by bacteria.
- Please note that the flowers cannot become moist, due to excessive humidity or due to condensation. This will encourage Botrytis, a fungal attack that can quickly reduce the ornamental value. With Amaryllis, this is often called dots or smallpox, because of the small spots on the flowers.
- When making bouquets and flower arrangements, it is wise to put a stick in the hollow stem that can help carry the heavy flowers. This is only necessary for older cultivars, the new range has sturdier stems that can stand independently.
- To prevent the lower ends of the stem from curling, the stem can be fixed with a tape or elastic. Water absorption will then continue to improve.
- Curling can also be made part of the arrangement: cut deeper into thinner strips and place in very cold water for a curly ball in the vase.
- When processing Amaryllis in floral foam, it is useful to pierce a hole before the flower is inserted.
- Amaryllis can be stored dry in the cold store at 8-12 ° C in boxes. Colder is not good – then the flowers become glassy. The shorter the storage time, the fresher the product and the longer the vase life.
PROFESSIONAL AMARYLLIS PRESENTATION TIPS FOR YOUR SHOP
The Amaryllis fits beautifully in the style trend, in which the living environment is softened and flowers serve as buffers. Hang them upside down as a flowering chandelier: the water can be put in the stems that can also serve as mini vases for other flowers. Or arrange them as a thriving mini-garden, the flowers have an impact anyway and, due to their size, have a dampening effect on stimuli and sounds. To enhance the effect, the pastel colours are best combined with an orange shade variety.
