Amaryllis vs. Hippeastrum

Do you enjoy growing Amaryllis bulbs? Those are the popular bulbs that are usually sold during the fall months for growing indoors over the winter months. Their flowers are huge and gorgeous. But what if I told you they’re not Amaryllis but Hippeastrum instead?

Say what?! Yup, all these years, we’ve been calling them by the wrong name. There are bulbs called Amaryllis, which commonly go by the name “Naked Ladies.” Botanically speaking, they are Amaryllis belladonna.

Their common name comes from the fact that they sprout tall stems and attractive pink flowers in the summer. This happens well before leaves are visible. Hence, the naked part.

But back to the so-called Amaryllis we all know and love. Those bulbs belong to the genus Hippeastrum. To be honest, I’m really not sure how or when this mix-up occurred. I’ve known the bulb pictured above as Amaryllis for most of my gardening life.

For some reason, the horticultural industry is continuing this problem. I defy you to find one of these bulbs for sale under the correct name! I’ve noticed that in different countries, they DO use the right name. This is really a puzzler.

So let’s all start referring to them correctly from this day forward. At the very least, it’s a great conversation starter, right?