Sparkle and fragrance from winter bulbs

Amaryllis are a joy, spectacular and rewarding. — Muffet/Creative Commons

Green thumb or not, anyone can raise winter’s most user-friendly indoor bulbs, the spectacular amaryllis and delicate paperwhite narcissus.

Unlike the daffodils, tulips and crocuses that must sleep for up to 12 weeks in the chilly soil, amaryllis and paperwhites are ready to spring into action as soon as they are potted. Both take from four to six weeks to bloom.

The gift potential of these bulbs is high since they are at their peak when the view outdoors is at its dreariest. There are probably at least a half-dozen people on your holiday list who would be delighted to receive a pot of vibrant flowers on the verge of bursting into bloom.

The amaryllis we know is a hybrid form of Hippeastrum vittatum, a native of the tropical and subtropical regions of South America. The flower’s name comes from the Greek word for ‘‘sparkling,’’ sometimes interpreted as ‘‘radiant beauty.’’ The flower was discovered in 1828 by Eduard Frederick Poepping (1798-1865), a German physician from Leipzig who spent his youth on plant-hunting expeditions in Chile.

The typical amaryllis is some shade of red with trumpet-like blooms of wonderful substance — ‘Red Lion’ is one fine example. But there are also double-flowered kinds like ‘Dancing Queen,’ with blossom-like ruffled petticoats, cybister types like ‘Ruby Meyer’ with spidery petals and miniatures like ‘Amoretta,’ which grows only about 14 inches tall and bears white flowers flushed with apple-blossom pink.

Paperwhites actually have an older association with year-end holidays than the poinsettia, a Mexican native marketed only since the 1920s. Known botanically as a type of Narcissus tazetta, this member of the daffodil family grew wild throughout the Mediterranean region and has been cultivated in southern Europe, Egypt and the Near East since ancient times.

Transported east by early traders, paperwhites have been popular since the 10th century among the Chinese, who call it ‘‘Good Luck Flower’’ or ‘‘New Year Lily.’’ The type with white petals and yellow cups are known as Chinese sacred lilies and are a symbol of wealth and good fortune.

Paperwhites bear clusters of five to 15 flowers atop slender stems and most are strongly scented. Somewhat cloying, it’s a fragrance you either love or hate. If you fall into the latter category, look for the cultivar ‘Inball,’ which is said to smell less musky than most.

Other choices are ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ with rich yellow petals and orange cups; ‘Bethlehem’ and ‘Nazareth,’ both a soft yellow; the pure white ‘Jerusalem’; and ‘Ziva,’ also white and generally regarded as the fastest-growing and most floriferous.

The truly ideal thing about these potted bulbs is they require no special treatment, no previous experience and no exotic skills. They don’t represent a long-term commitment — when they’re finished, out they go. There’s no agonizing as in the case of a pricey orchid or exquisite bonsai that comes with a burden of extraordinary care.

Paperwhites are prolific and fragrant. — the justified sinner/Creative Commons

There are some basic traits both of these bulbs share. They must not freeze, but they can be kept in a cool place (45 to 55 degrees is ideal) until you are ready to plant. Both bloom best with crowded roots, so don’t use oversized pots but choose a heavy one so they don’t topple.

Give amaryllis bulbs only an extra inch or so around the circumference; plant paperwhites shoulder-to-shoulder. Both need good drainage. Make sure the pot has a drainage hole and don’t let it stand in a saucer full of water. Excessive water will rot the bulbs, leaving you with useless mush.

Paperwhites can be grown without any soil at all on a layer of gravel, stone or marbles, ideally in a clear container. Bulbs forced in liquid alone pretty much exhaust their food reserves and can’t be expected to yield another season of bloom.

An ideal medium for growing amaryllis is a mix of two parts potting soil to one part each of sand and peat moss. Pre-moisten the mixture so it has the dampness of a wrung-out sponge.

Amaryllis should be planted with the top one-third exposed and care should be taken to avoid damaging the brittle roots. Once planted, water thoroughly and put them in a warm spot since they need some heat to get going. Then, water sparingly until a little tongue of green pokes its way out of the top of the stem, indicating that roots are taking up moisture.

Turn the plant regularly so it doesn’t lean toward the source of light. The tall stem shoots up at an amazing pace — and will grow to 18 inches or more before the buds fatten. Once the flowers open, move the plant out of direct sunlight to prolong the bloom.

While there is nothing wrong with ditching your amaryllis after it has flowered, these bulbs can go on for years, blooming annually. The secret is to allow the plant a period of vegetative growth and then induce a period of rest before pushing it to grow once more.

After the plant has flowered, remove the spent blossoms and cut the flower stalk off about two inches above the bulb. Treat it as a foliage houseplant — the strappy leaves must continue to grow in order to recharge the bulb. You can summer the plant outdoors in a protected, shady location.

In late summer, as leaves begin to yellow, decrease watering. By September, you should stop watering entirely and store bulbs indoors, ideally in a cool (50 degree) location. Amaryllis needs a dormant period of about eight weeks to trigger another round of bloom. In about two months — when November rolls around again — you should see some signs of new growth and can start the cycle anew.

If you can keep your bulb happy, the payoff is dramatic. A 4-year-old bulb typically produces up to three stalks each with four great big flowers. Nice!