Plant guide
Holiday amaryllis
Hippeastrum spp.
Holiday amaryllis is toxic to cats. Eating it can cause vomiting, drooling and diarrhea; larger ingestions can cause more serious effects. The bulbs contain the highest concentration of toxins.
What this guide covers: Hippeastrum species and garden hybrids, including the pictured Vera cultivar. This is not an Amaryllis belladonna or true-lily guide.
Photo:
Photo details
Hippeastrum spp. — NC State Extension image 40357
By Cindy Christian
License: CC BY 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
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Photo:
Photo details
Hippeastrum spp. — NC State Extension image 40357
By Cindy Christian
License: CC BY 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
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Keep away from cats. We do not recommend this plant for a home where cats could reach it.
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Look for Hippeastrum spp. and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Hippeastrum spp.
- Scope
- Genus-level group
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Hippeastrum species and garden hybrids, including the pictured Vera cultivar. This is not an Amaryllis belladonna or true-lily guide.
- Light
- Sunny position or Some direct sun
Full sun to partial shade.
- Watering
Keep moist while growing; reduce watering after flowering.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
For reblooming, a 50-55 F rest for 8-10 weeks is described; restart at 70-75 F. These are stage-specific conditions.
- Humidity
No specific humidity target established.
- Potting
- Organically rich, well-drained mix; leave the bulb neck exposed.
- Through the year
- Remove spent flower stalks but keep leaves until they wither; protect from frost.
Growing-guide sources
- Hippeastrum spp. ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-15
Hippeastrum species and garden hybrids, including the pictured Vera cultivar. This is not an Amaryllis belladonna or true-lily guide.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Severity
- Severity not established
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Holiday amaryllis: toxic and non-toxic plants ↗ASPCA · Accessed
Safety last reviewed .