The long-standing “almost every year” holiday tradition at our house is to give younger family members a huge amaryllis bulb to grow fragrant red blooms indoors in late December.
Even at eight years old, my daughter Lucy could sprout this gorgeous tropical flower on her own.
In later years, the amaryllis bulb holiday gifts followed her to college to brighten the icy Chicago winter. Now that she lives in New Orleans, she can plant the spent bulbs outdoors to bloom the next spring.
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Since these bulbs take six to eight weeks to bloom after planting, the gesture has always been a gift for two occasions, with the brilliant red blooms sometimes bursting forth close to Valentine’s Day.
Other families’ traditions never fail to warm me, either. So I was pleased to learn many people plant amaryllis indoors in early winter, so they bloom in time to become part of their holiday decor, either in planters or as cut flowers.
Of course, if you live in balmy USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, you can also plant these bulbs outdoors in fall or winter. As long as they receive part or full sun, they’ll thrive in flower beds, naturalized areas, or containers in those regions.
You can learn all about planting and caring for amaryllis in our growing guide!
But there’s no need to choose, here. You can force the bulbs to bloom for the holidays, give them as gifts, and still plant a slew of them outdoors if your climate is warm enough.
Whoops, did I say no need to choose? You actually will need to make some selections.
Along with the simple red varieties you will commonly see at the florist’s shop and home stores come November, there are a bounty of amaryllis options!
The different kinds of Hippeastrum fall into five categories: single or double-bloom varieties, those with smaller flowers, the nymphs with their exceptionally large blooms and extra-sturdy stems, and cybister amaryllis with their delicate spidery petals.
They’re not to be confused with Amaryllis belladonna, a different genus in the same family, Amaryllidaceae.
Typically, the common name “amaryllis” refers to the large Hippeastrum bulbs sold in late fall and early winter for glorious indoor blooms.
A. belladonna blooms in August and September, not during the holiday season. They have smaller bulbs, thinner petals that look almost like birds, and are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.
For holiday gifts and decor, there are numerous gorgeous Hippeatsrum cultivars available, and here are 17 of my favorites:
17 of the Best Amaryllis Varieties
While you’re considering what you might like to plant in containers for your home or garden, also look at these options with an eye toward holiday gifts.
You should bear in mind that with their long, elegant stems, many Hippeastrum varieties need extra support. Others have sturdy stems, and I’ve noted these in the descriptions below.
Amaryllis Support Stakes, Pack of Five
For those that require support, you can find stakes available from HiGift via Amazon.
Without further ado, here are 17 of the best options in the fun and wonderful range of different amaryllis cultivars:
1. Amadeus Candy
‘Amadeus Candy’ features gorgeous double blooms in white with pink edging around each petal. The flower stalks reach 20 to 25 inches tall with four to five, seven-inch blooms.
‘Amadeus Candy’ bulbs are available via Walmart.
2. Dancing Queen
You’ll certainly dance when this gorgeous striped queen blooms indoors in winter. Featuring extra large, fully double, orangey-red and white striped flowers, it’s certain to add some drama to your holiday decor – and perhaps even make you feel 17?
And did I mention that it’s big? ‘Dancing Queen’ will reach 20 to 22 inches tall and produce nine-inch blooms on two or three stems.
Dance your way over to Walmart to pick up bulbs.
3. Double Dragon
I can just picture this sharp red double-bloom variety adding a dramatic accent to Smaug’s mountain lair, or maybe brightening the winter months for Puff on his magic island.
A Dutch-grown bulb, ‘Double Dragon’ produces two stalks with four blossoms each and grows to 24 inches tall. The overall effect is fiery!
‘Double Dragon’ bulbs are available from Burpee.
4. Double Dream
With dreamy white-tipped pink petals, the double blooms of ‘Double Dream’ are sure to delight, brightening the dreariest of winter days.
The 20- to 25-inch flower stalks sport four to six blooms, each measuring seven to eight inches across.
‘Double Dream’ is available from Van Zyverden via Walmart.
5. Evergreen
A cybister cultivar, ‘Evergreen’ looks especially tropical with its apple-green starburst at the center of creamy blossoms.
The color scheme works quite well in winter holiday floral arrangements, especially when paired with a bright red variety.
‘Evergreen’ grows 20 to 24 inches high and produces two stalks with four to six flowers on each.
And even elite gardeners think they’re spiffy. ‘Evergreen’ received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 2012, and the RHS will never steer you wrong.
‘Evergreen’ bulbs are available from Burpee.
6. Ferrari
Dramatic and luxurious like the sports car, but a bit more affordable, ‘Ferrari’ is known for producing a wealth of color.
Unlike the car, this ‘Ferrari’ is from Holland, not Italy.
These bulbs are gargantuan: 13 to 15 inches wide! The flowers are just as lavish, with two stems growing 20 to 26 inches high, and bursting into four or five giant blooms apiece.
The rich red petals surround a deep red center. (Not sure why words like “rich” keep coming up when I talk about this plant…)
Honestly, if I could only choose one, I would go for a field of ‘Ferrari’ flowers instead of the version with four wheels.
And hey, this deep red luxury item, unlike its namesake, can sit right on the dining room table to cheer you up in winter.
‘Ferrari’ bulbs ready for planting are available from Burpee.
7. Half and Half
Here’s an amaryllis to gaze at while you sip your coffee and admire your Christmas tree, or your springtime garden.
A new variety from Israel, ‘Half and Half’ grows two feet tall and produces copious blooms of bright red. And each flower boasts a wedge of petals that are blush-tinted cream.
This type typically produces two or three stems, and each yields five or six blooms.
‘Half and Half’ bulbs are available from Van Zyverden via Home Depot.
8. Hercules
No myths or kids’ movies here, just extra-large fuchsia blooms on plants that grow 20 inches tall.
‘Hercules’ bulbs produce four or five flowers on each of two stems, and the blooms are usually eight inches wide – a little larger than a salad plate. Or, I don’t know, probably about the size of that Cyclops’ eye…
If this outstanding variety strikes your fancy, ‘Hercules’ bulbs are available from Burpee.
9. Minerva
She was the Roman goddess of war, but Minerva was also the goddess of the arts, and that makes this name fitting.
‘Minerva’ blooms are sheer natural beauty, with white stripes that look almost like deft brush strokes emanating from the flat-faced, bright red petals.
Each bulb is usually good for one or two stems that grow 18 to 24 inches high, and reliably produce three or four flowers.
‘Minerva’ amaryllis bulbs are available from Tractor Supply Company as part of a planting kit.
10. Picotee
The flowers on these 20-inch stalks look like an old-school ice skating skirt, or something else that’s graceful and brilliant white.
And they’re an impressive size, able to produce two stems with four or five eight-inch blooms each.
Bulbs are available from Burpee.
11. Purple Rain
These blooms aren’t exactly what I’d call purple – they’re more pink. And I’m pretty sure the famous musician never grew them, either when he was Prince, or when he was the Artist Formerly Known As.
These beauties have eight-inch blooms with striking two-tone pink stripes. And they do have the faintest bit of purple in the center, so maybe that’s where the name came from?
‘Purple Rain’ grows 18 to 24 inches tall and produces two stems with four blooms each.
Still, it kinda makes you wonder what color a Little Red Corvette amaryllis would be, not to mention a Raspberry Beret…
Single ‘Purple Rain’ bulbs are available from Van Zyverden via Tractor Supply Company as part of a planting kit.
12. Pyjama Party
Does it look like those matching pajama sets some families wear on Christmas Eve? With its striped soft red and pink pattern, maybe a little.
But ‘Pyjama Party’ mostly just shares the same whimsy and holiday joy as you’d expect from flannel pj’s.
This Dutch type is tinier than some, growing 15 to 20 inches tall. It produces at least two and sometimes three stems per bulb, with multiple flowers on each.
Single ‘Pyjama Party’ bulbs are sold by Tractor Supply Company as part of a growing kit.
13. Red Lion
Two cheers for the bright red blossoms on ‘Red Lion,’ equally celebrated as part of holiday decor and as an antidote for the winter blahs.
The color is so rich the petals appear to shimmer.
This variety produces two stalks that grow 20 to 25 inches tall before producing three or four flowers each.
‘Red Lion’ bulbs are available from Walmart in packages of 10.
14. Rilona
Here’s another one of those varieties with a more unusual color, that’s not your typical red, white, or stripes.
‘Rilona’ has dusky apricot petals with deeper orange veins. It’s subtle but still feels tropical, and the blooms are beautiful floating in a glass bowl as a holiday centerpiece.
The mature height is about 20 inches, and each of two stalks is loaded with three or four giant blooms.
‘Rilona’ bulbs are available from Blue Buddha Farm Store via Amazon.
15. Rosalie
Most varieties are pretty vibrant, but some that belong in our list of top picks are better described as elegant – like ‘Rosalie.’
These large indoor bloomers grow to 20 to 24 inches and produce luminous, apricot-blush flowers with centers of the lightest green.
(It seems almost insulting to the sophistication factor to describe the green central hue as one very reminiscent of an inchworm, but that’s the case…)
Expect four or five huge flowers on each of two stems.
‘Rosalie’ bulbs are available from Burpee.
16. Sweet Nymph
So unusual, so splashy! Like all the nymph types, this one has extra-large flowers – eight inches or wider – and extra sturdy stems that don’t require support.
The color combo is quite eye-pleasing: watermelon-pink petals with darker pink veins and white highlights.
If you can bear to clip them, they’re known as one of the longest-lasting cut flowers for winter-holiday arrangements, and look dashing in glass bowls, or vases that can accommodate the 20- to 24-inch stalks.
‘Sweet Nymph’ bulbs are available from Burpee.
17. White Nymph
If pure white is your style, you’re sure to fall in love with ‘White Nymph.’ Prepare to be dazzled by the eight- to 10-inch blooms, each with just a hint of green in the center.
Like the other nymphs on this list, the 20- to 24-inch stalks sport three to four of the massive blooms.
Pair this one with ‘Ferrari’ or ‘Double Dragon’ for a classic red and white holiday display.
You can find ‘White Nymph’ bulbs available at Eden Brothers.
Banish Winter Doldrums With Colorful Amaryllis
The amaryllis offers so many possibilities, from elegant to bold, simple to fancy, plain red to multi-color stripes with centers of another hue.
And what I appreciate about these plants is that they are easy to grow and simple to care for. So if one of the varieties caught your eye, there’s a good chance you can grow it indoors on the first try.
I hope these descriptions have helped you narrow your choices. And if I’ve missed one of your favorites let me know in the comments section below, and feel free to share a picture!
And for more tips on amaryllis care, check out these guides next:
love all of the information.
I was trying to figure out what variety my amazing Christmas amaryllis is (Double Dragon) and now I’m on a bulb shopping spree! Thanks for the great list!
My wife has had luck planting amaryllis outdoors in Zone 7B. Some are near the house foundation, others next to the greenhouse knee walls, both on the northside of the building.
Wow Kurt, that’s great! These must be very well-protected places in the garden. Do you know what variety they are? Amaryllis can typically only be grown outdoors as a perennial in Zones 9-11.
I loved your article! Thank you!
If you’ve never seen the Tinkerbell, you’ve been missing out! This is mine. It is blooming right now for the second time, once in January and again now at the end of March. It makes 2 stalks each time with 6 flowers on each. It is the most elegant flower I’ve ever seen! I hope you enjoy!
Hi Susan, I managed to retrieve your photos! What beautiful flowers – thank you for sharing!
I had an amaryllis called Aphrodite.
If you plant them outdoors, will the varieties cross pollinate?
Hello, Srobyn. There is a chance two varieties would cross pollinate. Also, some adventurous gardeners pollinate two varieties manually in the hope of a cross.
Keep in mind, though, that the seeds take a good long while, as much as five years, to produce plants mature enough to flower.
There’s a lot of good information on starting amaryllis from seed in our guide.
You can learn more about growing amaryllis in this guide, as well.
Good luck with whatever you decide to try.
How and when do I prune the Ferrari plant?
Hello Linda. If you plan to keep growing it as a green plant, you should trim the flower stalks only, not the green, strappy foliage. Do this once the blooms have died.
You can find more information about the pruning for any amaryllis in our after-care guide.
I hope your ‘Ferrari’ does well for you. They sure are beautiful.