Hippeastrum — 11 species

Hippeastrum — widely sold as Amaryllis — are South American bulbous plants grown indoors for their spectacular trumpet flowers in bold reds, soft pinks, and bicolour patterns, with popular cultivars including Red Lion, Apple Blossom, and Minerva. Pot them with roughly one-third of the bulb exposed above the soil surface, position in bright indirect light, and water sparingly until 2–3 inches of growth appear, then keep the medium consistently moist but never soggy — dormancy requires a cool, dark rest period of about eight weeks. All Hippeastrum species are toxic to cats and dogs; the bulb is the most concentrated source of lycorine alkaloids, which cause vomiting, salivation, and, in large ingestions, tremors and cardiac effects.