The Amaryllis, Barbados Lily, a rare species of flower that is found in South America and the Caribbean is an exquisite gem that stands out in any garden. Having several common names such as : horse star, belladonna lily, cape belladonna, lirio, naked lady lily, pink-lady, resurrection lily, Lis rouge, Easter lily,and Fire lily, this “beauty” is related to daffodils and can be propagated by seeds or dividing bulbs .
This trumpet shaped lily can reach to a height between 18 to 24 inches, blooms from midsummer to mid autumn and can have up to 3 to 6 glossy belt looking leaves.
The Amaryllis, Barbados Lily are also attractive to bees and butterflies and is ideal for growing indoors all year round.
The bulb of the flower has medicinal properties and can be used to fight asthma, bronchitis,constipation and respiratory diseases. However parts of this plant can be poisonous if ingested. The poisonous agent is the toxic alkaloid lycorine and symptoms include: vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hyper salivation, anorexia, and tremor.
Many people have flowers in their gardens and know little of how important their plants are. The Amaryllis, Barbados Lily is the perfect collection of flowers a gardener needs to complete a garden.