In North America, the flower known as the amaryllis is a Christmas conceit, often forced to bloom indoors in late December as part of holiday decorations.

But, it seems, this blossoming bulb isn’t really an amaryllis (native to South Africa), but a hippeastrum. According to Wikipedia, this flowering genus is native to the Americas, from Argentina north to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Whatever. Our intrepid photographer captured these bulbs for sale in Amsterdam a few Februarys ago — well after Christmas (they can be coaxed to flower indoors in every season).

Road Trips Gardeners heading to the Netherlands anytime soon certainly need to plan for stops at Keukenhof and Floriade. The former takes place every year, but the latter is a once-in-a-decade gardening treat.

(Photo © Susan McKee)