True Amaryllis (NOT Hippeastrums) 2023

[fermi de Sousa]

Amaryllis belladonna is a South African amaryllid which is very popular in Australia.
It's believed to have been brought here directly from The Cape because ships from Britain stopped there on the way to the new colony. Other amaryllids were also brought here and were crossed to raise a range of hybrids. It is believed that Amaryllis belladonna was crossed with a species of Brunsvigia to create hybrids which look like Amaryllis belladonna but with radial symmetry. A suggestion made by Bruce Knight many years ago was that it was actually Cybistetes longifolia (now Ammocharis longifolia) because of the shape of the flowers.
We have a variety of these hybrids and the first ones are in bloom now
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

This white variety is grown widely and is supposed to be a hybrid called 'Hathor' but likely to be a seedling
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

A very dark cerise/pink variety from Anita in Adelaide - different to our local form (see above) and usually flowering later
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

A range of pink forms in the garden
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

This pink hybrid came up in a large terracotta pot on the verandah at our apartment in Camberwell which we brought up to Redesdale last year. 4 spikes this year!
cheers
fermi

[Anders]

This is nothing if you live a bit further south, but I have been waiting for Amaryllis belladonna to flower for 14 years. I hope I can keep the slugs away for another week or two.

Anders

[Anders]

The flowers survived the slugs but I don't like the irregular colouring, are they virused?  Bought from an English specialist nursery, they usually sell plant of very high quality.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Anders,
I would say it's natural variation and similar to some of the Belladonnas we have here

cheers
fermi

[MarcR]

Hi Fermi,

I wasn't aware that Amaryllis belladonna offered so much variation in color.
VERY NICE!