The plants we call Amaryllis, actually belong to the genus Hippeastrum, a genus of bulbs from the Daffodil family. Its second name Amaryllis is used worldwide nowadays, but Hippeastrum is the correct botanical name. The plant originates from South America and has 4 to 6 flowers on a hollow stem. However, the real Amaryllis Belladonna is another plant, originating from South Africa, with 6 to 12 flowers and a solid stem. To make it more complicated, two Dutch growers moved to South Africa in 1946 to grow the South-Amarican Hippeastrum there. And up till now most cultivated forms of Hippeastrum come from the Netherlands or South Africa. Generally the Dutch bulbs produce flowers first and develop their leaves afterwards. The South African varieties develop their flower stems and leaves simultaneously. It is quite possible to winter the Amaryllis, provided it receives enough warmth and light in the summer and has a sufficiently spacious pot with nutritious soil. These ensure a good development of the bulb. If one doesn’t cut the leaves and allows the bulb a period of winter-rest, it will probably bloom again the following year.