amaryllis

am·a·ryl·lis | \ ˌa-mə-ˈri-ləs

Definition of amaryllis

1 : an autumn-flowering South African bulbous herb (Amaryllis belladonna of the family Amaryllidaceae, the amaryllis family) that is grown in gardens for its clusters of large, fragrant, usually white or pink flowers which resemble lilies and are borne on long, solid, leafless stems : belladonna lily

2 : any of various usually spring-flowering cultivars of a closely related chiefly South American bulbous herb (genus Hippeastrum) that are widely grown indoors in wintertime for their clusters of large, typically red, pink, salmon, or white, trumpet-shaped flowers which resemble lilies and are borne on long, hollow, leafless stems

Examples of amaryllis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Take care to prevent amaryllis from stretching and toppling. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "Planning your 2020 garden? You’ll want to check out the year’s Gold Medal Plants.," 1 Jan. 2020 The amaryllis will bloom every year for a long, long time. — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "What to gift a gardener? Funny you should ask.," 6 Dec. 2019 My amaryllis developed red patches on some leaves over the summer. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: Red patches on the amaryllis and what bulbs don’t deer eat," 21 Nov. 2019 In Dallas the florist Rusty Glenn once decorated a three-story stairwell with 7,150 stems of white Dendrobium orchids shipped from Thailand, several hundred red amaryllis blossoms, and fresh greenery. — Mike Albo, Town & Country, "How Holiday Decorations Became the Elite's New Competitive Sport," 25 Nov. 2019 For amaryllis, plant the bulb in rich, moist potting soil. — Washington Post, "Hints From Heloise: Begging off," 23 Nov. 2019 Modern hybrids are popularly termed giant or Royal Dutch amaryllis. — Karen Dardick, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Trumpet-shaped amaryllis is big, beautiful and easy to grow," 26 Sep. 2019 The equally popular but much more flamboyant amaryllis takes a bit longer — up to 12 weeks. — Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, "Bonnie Blodgett: As the inside season arrives, here are some tips to help us all get along," 2 Nov. 2019 The other plants used throughout the three houses range from lilies and azaleas to paperwhites, amaryllis, and mini-evergreens. — Robert Khederian, Town & Country, "How Newport's Gilded Age Mansions Are Decorated for Christmas," 13 Dec. 2018

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.