Hippeastrum (Amaryllis family)
A previous post by Colwyn Campbell (27 September) highlighted the commencement of the annual blooming of hippeastrum lilies in many gardens throughout the village. Two weeks on and the hippeastrums are at their very best, bursting into flower in almost every garden. Whether you have one bulb or mass plantings, these beautiful bulbs never disappoint the home gardener.
Hippeastrums belong to the Amaryllis family. They belong to a genus of some 90 species and over 600 hybrids. They are perennial bulbs. The bulbs are usually large and fleshy, producing tall, broad leaves. The large trumpet-shaped flowers come in a vast array of colours, evident in the gardens at Paluma. Hippeastrums are easy to grow. They love warm weather, sunshine or good filtered light.
Just some of the amazing flowers from local gardens are shown in the photos below. Here are our Happy Hippeastrums!
Text & Photos by Michele Bird