Product Description

The hybrids of Hippeastrum, also known by gardeners as amaryllis, have long been popular indoor plants, their flamboyant blooms bringing cheer during the dark winter months. This book for gardeners describes the astonishing range of hybrids now available and explains how to get the best results from these rewarding plants whether grown indoors, outdoors, or under glass.

The large-flowering single with its flamboyant blooms remains a favoured classic, but it is now joined by majestic doubles, distinguished, smaller-flowering Hippeastrum 'gracile' hybrids, exotic-looking Cybisters with their delicate, wispy blooms and miniature Japanese hybrids small enough to grow in a coffee cup. The long-flowering, multistemmed Klisters create a sensational display through the winter months while the elegant Sonatinis are prized for their glamour as cut flowers.

Veronica Read has devoted the last ten years of her life to perfecting the art of growing Hippeastrum and here she shares her expertise and understanding of these plants. A wealth of practical advice accompanies her plant descriptions including a specially formulated growing medium used by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, an effective hot water treatment for pests, step-by-step propagation instructions on how to chip and twin scale, and essential advice on feeding, watering and lighting.

More than 100 beautiful photographs complete this tantalizing book that will bring enthusiasts right up-to-date with the latest developments, tempt all growers to extend their collections and encourage novices to experiment with these dramatic plants.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #482762 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 344 pages

Review
"An outstanding book."
—Veronica Read, National Gardener, July 2004 (National Gardener )

An outstanding book. Veronica Read, National Gardener, July 2004 (National Gardener )

About the Author
Veronica Read is the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG) National Plant Collection Holder of Hippeastrum in the United Kingdom. In 1999 she won a gold medal for her exhibit of South African hybrids at the RHS Westminster Show. She lectures widely to horticultural societies and gardening clubs and has also written for and been featured in horticultural journals and broadsheets including Amaryllids, The Garden, Herbertia, Kew Friends Magazine, Plant Heritage, the Professional Gardener, and the Daily Telegraph.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Habitats and climates are as varied as the plants themselves. Hippeastrum elegans grows in grassy meadows where conditions are warm and humid; other species grow by the side of rivers, while H. angustifolium inhabits muddy swamps. Hippeastrum reticulatum prefers cool, moist and shady conditions, while H. reginae is found in soil high in organic matter. Hippeastrum aulicum inhabits shady areas and has been found growing in the crotches of trees. Hippeastrum striatum grows in the open, in shade as well as in full sun, in acid red clay where early morning temperatures can fall to near freezing occasionally during the winter. Some species inhabit dense Brazilian rain forests where conditions are cool and moist, with around 60–160 in. (1600–4000 mm) of rainfall per year, dense morning and evening fogs and little temperature variation throughout the year (59–70°F or 15–21°C). Vegetation is thick and luscious, and species grow among bromeliads and orchids, or in the case of H. calyptratum, cling epiphytically to tree trunks.

Hippeastrum leopoldii, H. pardinum, H. reginae and H. vittatum inhabit the lightly forested Bolivian slopes at 2000–6000 ft. (610–1830 m) where conditions are cool and shady. The ground is covered with a litter of rocks, twigs and leaves, and regular night rains during the spring follow a short dry season.

Hippeastrum cybister, H. evansiae, H. fosteri and H. parodii grow in mountainous areas where conditions are harsh and inhospitable. Temperatures during the summer soar above 100°F (38°C) and fall below freezing during the winter with frosts and heavy snowfalls in some areas. If it were not for their upright position and bluish cast, the leaves of H. parodii would be quickly burnt. The entire year's rainfall of 6 in. (15 cm) falls during 2–3 months, resulting in all external growth being completed during this period. Other species send forth scapes following snow melts as moisture trickles to the bulbs situated below the level of frost penetration.

Some plants cling to steep, bare, rocky slopes where soil is almost nonexistent. Others grow among vegetation and bushes or near other plants where dark gray, sandy soils low in organic content are barely moist. Hippeastrum psittacinum grows on steep bare rocks, as well as at the base of cliffs which are covered with a thin layer of moss that becomes wet with dew each night and, at certain times of the year, from fog condensation.

Customer Reviews

More (and less) than you want to know
Timber Press's horticultural books always present beautifully: glossy paper, colored plates, and densely-packed text that makes you think you'll learn all you ever wanted to know about a particular plant family. Many appear to be written by British horticulturalists associated with some Royal garden or another. And, many appear to be written FOR other British horticulturalists of some Royal garden or another. I was excited to get this book, because I love hippeastrums; but I found many pages that I needn't spend much time on, such as long descriptions of research and researchers in countries around the world. As for learning more about how to grow them, you'll glean a few ideas, but unless you have a tissue culture laboratory, a climate-controlled greenhouse, and access to all the soil and chemical products that are available in the UK (or only given by their UK name or description), you'll probably not do much with the rest of the cultural information.

I've looked over a number of the Timber Press plant guides, and this one seems to be typical of their presentation. The pictures are a joy to look at. But these books are often heavy on varieties and products that the average person will never come across, even in the age of the internet. I'm not saying they'll not be valuable to someone; only that I find they don't live up to their promise to me, and I suspect to most average plant lovers.

Dedicated to the hybrids of this popular indoor plant
Hippeastrum: The Gardener's Amaryllis by Veronica M. Read is a 344-page compendium dedicated to the hybrids of this popular indoor plant (commonly called amaryllis) that exhibits flamboyant blooms during dark winter months. An internationally recognized expert who draws upon more than ten years of personal experience, Veronica Read explains how gardeners and horticulturalists can get the best results from their efforts with a wealth of plant descriptions (including more than one hundred beautiful, full color photographs), practical advice, specially formulated growing medium used by the Royal Botanic Gardens, propagation instructions, and even an effective hot water treatment for pests! Hippeastrum is an impressive and strongly recommended specialized addition for personal gardening, professional horticultural reference collections.

Hippeastrums
Books on Hippeastrums are very few and far between. Veronica Read has attempted a comprehensive description of her knowledge and understanding of the genus as it applies to cultivation in the United Kingdom. The illustrations are good but unfortunately do not cover many of the more important cultivars, mentioned in her narrative. Genetic information is unfortunately almost non existant, which is not altogether surprising as very little genetic information has been published anywhere concerning Hippeastrums. Generally speaking Veronica Read has gathered together much of the more general information which has been published around the world and has presented it in a manner which is very suitable for the average gardener. Those of us who may have been looking for a more technical tretise on Hippeastrums must unfortunately look elsewere.