amaryllis

noun am·a·ryl·lis \ ˌa-mə-ˈri-ləs \

Definition of amaryllis

: an autumn-flowering South African bulbous herb (Amaryllis belladonna of the family Amaryllidaceae, the amaryllis family) widely grown for its large deep red to whitish umbellate flowers; also : a plant of any of several related genera (such as Hippeastrum or Sprekelia)

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Recent Examples of amaryllis from the Web

In five to eight weeks after planting, the amaryllis will bloom.

— kym pokorny, OregonLive.com, "How to coax amaryllis from bulbs to beautiful blooms," 2 Nov. 2017
Deep red amaryllis flowers, cut short, mimicked the rose at her chest, and finally, the large white Protea lent the arrangement a boldness, a hit of the exotic, and suggested the porcelain quality of her skin.

— lindsey taylor, WSJ, "Christmas in a Vase: A Bouquet How-To," 19 Dec. 2017
Brooke Edmunds, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service, has advice on coaxing an amaryllis from bulb to flower, an easy proposition from start to finish.

— kym pokorny, OregonLive.com, "How to coax amaryllis from bulbs to beautiful blooms," 2 Nov. 2017
Begin forcing amaryllis and paper white narcissus for indoor displays.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "October gardening calendar," 30 Sep. 2017
Bulbs: African lily, agapanthus, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, calla, crinum, day lily, gingers, gladiolus, pineapple lily, rain lily, society garlic, spider lilies, walking iris, watsonia.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "October gardening calendar," 30 Sep. 2017
By Gemma and Andrew Ingalls Stroll through a garden of roses--plus amaryllises, lilies of the valley, peonies, poppies, daffodils and bleeding hearts.

— lucy feldman, Time, "These 16 Coffee Table Books Are All You Need for a Staycation," 30 June 2017
Indoors Keep seasonal amaryllis, Norfolk pine, Christmas cactus and poinsettias watered as needed (when the top inch of soil medium dries); drain any excess water from the tray.

— betty cahill, The Denver Post, "How to care for your houseplants in the winter and properly recycle that Christmas tree," 6 Jan. 2017
Bulbs-type plants: Achimenes, African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, blackberry lily, bulbine, caladiums, canna, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, eucharis lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, peacock ginger, society garlic, rain lily and walking iris.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "June gardening calendar," 27 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amaryllis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.