Previous plant

Hippeastrum formosissimum

Next plant

Photo from Highcountrygardens.com.


The flower by Jana Řezníčková.

Author: 

John Claudius Loudon, 1829

Family: 

AMARYLLIDACEAE

Origin: 

Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

Soil: 

Mix - Rich

Water: 

Medium - Maximum

Sun: 

Medium - Maximum

Thickness: 

6 Centimetres

Height: 

15-80 Centimetres

Flower: 

Crimson

Propagate: 

Seeds/Bulbs

Names: 

Aztec Lily, Jacobean Lily, St. James' Lily

Synonyms: 

Amaryllis formosissima, Carl von Linnaeus, 1753.
Sprekelia formosissima
, William Herbert, 1821.

This member of the Amaryllidaceae family was given this name by John Claudius Loudon in 1829. It is found in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, growing in a well drained but rich soil with quite some water and some to lots of sun. The bulb can grow to six centimetres in diameter, the entire plant from 15 to 80 centimetres in height. The flowers are crimson.

The name Hippeastrum is a combination of the Greek word hippeus 'horse' and astron 'star', which means 'horseman's star' or 'knight's star', as the flowers have a star-like shape. The species name from Latin; fōrmōsus, means 'most beautiful' for the flowers.