Hippeastrum 'Red Lion'

Hippeastrum 'Red Lion'

Hippeastrum, or amaryllis, are most commonly grown as flowering houseplants, and are often given as gifts at Christmas. The bulbous plants hail from South Africa, and bear four to six large flowers on a tall, light green hollow stem.

It's easy to force amaryllis bulbs to flower indoors over Christmas, and once they've finished flowering they can be stored and encouraged to flower the following year.

Hippeastrum 'Red Lion' bears large scarlet flowers. For best results, grow at room temperature, around 20°C in a well-lit room, in the sunniest position you can give it. Water sparingly at first, increasing the amount as the flower stems develop.