Hippeastrum Papilio (Butterfly Amaryllis)

COMMON NAME: The Butterfly Amaryllis
ORIGIN: Brazil
USDA PLANT HARDINESS ZONE: Tropical Bulb Zone 9+
SOIL: Well drained, fertile
EXPOSURE: Bright Filtered Light to full sun with afternoon shade
FOLIAGE: Evergreen. Strap like medium green.
FLOWER: 2 flowers 5½ inches tall and 3½ inches wide on each 1-2 foot stem. The creamy, pale green flowers have a striking maroon striping radiating from the throat, resembling a butterfly's wings.

CULTURAL NOTES: Best grown as a houseplant for a bright windowsill, or outdoors in a frost fee area that receives morning sun. This species prefers to be pot-bound and planted quite shallowly with the neck of the bulb above the soil surface. Unlike most Hippeastrum, this species should be grown on and
not allowed to go dormant. During active growth, water weekly and fertilize monthly with a balanced organic fertilizer. Provide a bright, sunny area during the winter and filtered sun for the summer.

BLOOMING: Some bulbs may skip flowering for a year to reestablish. Flowers last for about 1 week from bud break to full flower. Slightly cooler
temperatures may keep the flowers longer.

GENERAL NOTES:

• Large striped petals of red to burgundy with white appear on stalks from late winter into spring on the butterfly amaryllis. This bulb with evergreen foliage hails from Brazil. Three of the six petals are held firmly but three tend to flop and droop, resembling a cluster of resting butterflies' wings.
• In frosty winter locales the long strappy leaves may die back, but in general this bulb doesn't need a dormant period to produce its fragrant flowers. Rather tall, upright flower stems support two to three white flowers with variable stripes of red to burgundy-maroon. In the flower centers is a green throat from which the floral tube and whisker-like stamens emanate. Over time, the bulbs reproduce and create a clump of plants.
• Grow the butterfly amaryllis in a fertile loam or sandy soil enriched with organic matter in full sun to lightly shaded garden spot. Water and fertilize evenly and consistently from spring to fall; there's no need to create an induced dormancy like the hybrid amaryllis sold at florist shops. A somewhat drier winter season is a good practice, however.
• Hippeastrum papilio plants are virtually evergreen with a brief resting period in mid-summer; this resting period lasts for 3-4 weeks, then new growth begins to emerge. This is the ideal period for repotting or transplanting; however, this species tends to defer blooming until the roots get re-established after being disturbed. like many other amaryllids, H. papilio tends to bloom more consistently when root bound.

YOU ARE BUYING: ONE young offsets, bare rooted bulb just emerging from summer dormancy.