Amaryllis, the shining star in the house. As a sparkling flower, the amaryllis brings warmth to cold days. You can even make it the star of the holidays. But she also does well in early spring. Can this long-stemmed and stately beauty also shine in your home?

COLORS AND SHAPES
The petals of the amaryllis are very special; they look like beautiful velvet. They are available in white, red, yellow, (salmon) pink, purple, orange and two-tone. Usually there are four to six impressive flowers on the stem. The amaryllis has no leaves, which is why they call her a 'Naked Lady' in the United States.

SYMBOLISM
The amaryllis symbolizes pride and enchanting beauty, and expresses a sense of friendship and affection. Truly a flower to conquer hearts with, from the kitchen table in a bouquet or when you give away a beautiful bunch.

ORIGIN
The amaryllis as we know it is native to South and Central America and the Caribbean. Actually, it is not amaryllis, because what we call amaryllis, is actually called Hippeastrum. This radiant flower is a descendant of the daffodil family and grows from a bulb. The name Hippeastrum comes from Greek and literally means 'knight star', referring to the star-shaped petals. 'Hippeus' means knight and 'astron' means star.