Amaryllis Belladonna (Fine): a description of the houseplant and a photo, poisonous or not, as well as care rules and methods of reproduction

Amaryllis belladonna is a very beautiful houseplant, which has gained immense popularity among flower growers.

The flower is quite unpretentious in care and even a novice will cope with it. It will not bring trouble when grown at home. Therefore, if you liked this plant, then you can get it and not worry about the chores.

If you want to constantly admire the magnificent flowering plant, without spending a lot of time and effort on it - Amaryllis is ideal for this. It will delight you with abundant flowering for a long time.

Botanical description and differences from other species

The homeland of the flower is Central and South America.also found in the Caribbean. Amaryllis refers to monocotyledonous bulbous plants. The diameter of the bulb does not exceed 10 centimeters.

The flower has a vertical stem, which reaches a maximum of sixty centimeters in height. It contains 2-5 large-sized flowers, about twenty centimeters wide.

Inflorescences resemble a lily and are painted in white and pink.. There are lighter and brighter shades. Flowers are collected in inflorescences, arranged in two circles, and they have six petals. On the side of the inflorescence resemble umbrellas. They can consist of several flowers, from two to twelve pieces. Amaryllis flowers smell gorgeous.

Green leaves are located opposite each other. They can grow to huge sizes, up to 50 centimeters in length and 3-4 centimeters in width.

After the leaves die off, the flower goes into a dormant state. At its end, foliage, along with inflorescences, is again born.

At the end of the twentieth century in the literature, Amaryllis began to be called Hippeastrum. Although these two cultures are similar in appearance, especially their flowers, but still, only in this is their similarity. All that they have in common is that they belong to the same family and both plants have a long rest period. In more detail about the comparison of amaryllis and hippeastrum we wrote here.

Amaryllis is distinguished by the size of the leaves and flowers, as well as their shades. Leaves do not appear immediately after flowering and quickly grow in a lush cascade of greenery that does not fall to the ground.

Amaryllis belladonna - bulb plant with an umbrella elongated, reminiscent of bells, drooping flowers on the crown of a tall bare peduncle.

Amaryllis belladonna, or Amaryllis beauty, as it is commonly called, is a monocotyledonous flowering plant of the genus Amaryllis of the family Amaryllidaceae.

If you are interested in a flower such as amaryllis, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with other popular varieties of this beautiful plant. We talked about this in a separate article.

Photo

You will see a photo of the amaryllis belladonna:

When and how does it bloom?

Beladonna blooms once a year and lasts about two to three weeks.. But the flowers do not bloom at the same time. In nature, the plant blooms in late spring or early summer. And in our natural environment, Amaryllis will delight its stunning flowers only in late summer - early fall.

After the flower is pollinated, it bears fruit in boxes of pink, green and white seeds. Why amaryllis does not bloom and how to make it release buds you can learn from this material.

Poisonous or not?

Attention! The bulb of the plant is poisonous. It contains alkaloid lycorin.

On the delicate skin of a person, irritation may appear even from a light touch on the bulb. The stems and leaves also contain poisons, such as: amaryllidine, phenanthridine.

When these substances enter the human body, breathing problems occur, salivation increases, pressure increases, and intestinal function deteriorates. Gloves must be worn when planting and transplanting the flower..

After the procedure is over, your hands should be thoroughly washed. Amaryllis should be kept away from children and pets.

How to care?

Temperature. In the daytime, it should not fall below + 23 ... +24, and at night +18 degrees. The plant negatively refers to sudden changes in temperature. During the growth period should be + 10 ... +15 degrees. When the plant is at rest, the temperature should fluctuate around + 18 ... +25 degrees.
Watering. Amaryllis loves moisture. Water for irrigation uses settled room temperature. The soil should not be dry, but also excessively wet. Stagnation of moisture will lead to loss of color of leaves and their wilting. The roots will begin to rot. During flowering, more water is required.
During dormancy, watering is not needed. One has only to slightly spray the ground. The procedure begins again when the peduncle reaches 10 -12 centimeters.
Shine. It should be bright, but scattered. It takes daylight hours for a flower for 14-15 hours. The flower stalk and leaves have the peculiarity of reaching out to the sun. Sometimes you need to return them to an upright position by turning the container.
Pruning. Amaryllis the Fine does not need pruning.
Top dressing. When the plant has a phase of active growth, it is fed once every few weeks, with complex mineral and organic fertilizers. In winter and autumn, the flower is in a dormant period and does not require top dressing (read about the nuances of caring for amaryllis in winter here).
Pot. Any landing begins with the choice of containers. For this plant you need a powerful and stable pot. Amaryllis, due to its wide-spread leaves and high peduncle, is very shaky. It is easy to overturn it with one awkward movement, and sometimes even a sharp stream of wind suffices.
The diameter of the container is selected under its bulb, it should occupy almost the entire space inside. Between the wall of the pot and the bulb, the distance should not exceed 3-4 centimeters.
Since the flower has a developed root system, the pot is selected quite deep. The best option is a tapering tank to the top.
Transfer. Amaryllis belladonna should not be transplanted often. Experienced flower growers recommend this procedure once every 4-5 years, when the flower arrow is almost completely dry. If you transplant a flower every year, this will lead to deformation of the roots and affect development and flowering. Instead of frequent transplanting, it is necessary to add fresh soil, as it settles.

Here is how to care for amaryllis at home.

From the video you will learn how to properly care for a flower so that it delights you with abundant flowering:

Breeding

Shoots

First you need to select smooth, strong bulbs, which have developed roots. They should not contain cracks, dents, scratches, stains, as well as mold and rot.
Then the dead scales of gray, brown, black color are removed from the bulbs.
The next step is to place them in a saturated solution of potassium permanganate for 30-35 minutes. Any fungicide is also suitable for such a procedure.
After the bulbs have been disinfected, they need to be thoroughly dried, for 12-14 hours.
If there are places of suspicion on the bulbs, the modified shoot should be treated with Fitosparin.
In a prepared pot, soil is filled up to half.
The bulb is placed in the container with a blunt end down. Then you need to add soil so that a third of the bulb rises above the ground.
The soil is compacted, watered with water at room temperature and put on the window.

Seeds

First, seeds must be obtained from a flower. And so that they appear, the plant is cross-pollinated with a brush.
They ripen within a month. After ripening and harvesting, the seeds are planted immediately.
Seeds are poured into moist soil and placed in a dark, warm place.
The first shoots are formed in a month, if you regularly do watering.
When the sprouts grow and become more hardy, they are planted in pots.
It is worth noting that with this method of reproduction, flowering in the near future can not be expected.

You will find all the nuances of planting and growing this plant in this article.

Disease

Amaryllis is sometimes affected by a fungal infection.. It can appear on the stem, flowers, and bulbs. It is expressed by red spots or stripes. In order to prevent the disease, you need to wet the flower as little as possible during watering. If, nevertheless, the plant becomes ill, special preparations are used: Bordeaux mixture or Fundazole.

Yellowed and deformed leaves indicate that thrips or aphids appeared on the flower. To get rid of the disease, you need to wash the leaves with a soapy solution. This is done immediately after pests have been detected.

We talked about diseases and pests in more detail in this article.

Conclusion

Amaryllis belladonna - an unusual ornamental plant. Obviously, this flower needs proper care. It is necessary to follow all the rules and recommendations for care and then Amaryllis will delight with its wonderful bright flowering for more than one year.