Christmas is past, but if you got lucky, you may have gotten a very special plant gift. Poinsettias tend to hog the limelight during the Christmas season, but they can’t claim total ownership of the holiday. One popular plant for Christmas is often not particularly showy when you receive it. but brings its gift to you later, as the holiday hullaballoo dies down. What you get initially is really just a bundle of potential — and the potential is for something that really is quite spectacular.

Amaryllises are exceptionally showy — almost royalty among potted plants. And the best part is that you get to watch the transformation. With minimal care on your part, they magically send up shoots from a leafless bulb to form some striking blossoms.

If you mention amaryllis, it is pretty universally recognized as the plants we grow in pots particularly around this time of year. Despite that name recognition, they are misnamed and are actually hippeastrums. True amaryllises are actually Belladonna lilies — aka naked ladies and natives of South Africa.

The amaryllises we grow as interior flowers are some of 70 to 75 species and more than 600 hybrids and cultivars. They are native to tropical and subtropical Latin America. In 1837, a reverend Herbert of Manchester England dubbed them with their scientific name, hippeastrum — a Greek word meaning “horseman’s star,” or “knight’s star.” Perhaps it is because the buds look something like a horse’s ear before they begin to open or perhaps it is the star shape the open flowers form. No one knows for sure.

Since Holland and bulbs are practically synonymous, it isn’t surprising the Dutch were the first commercial hippeastra breeders. They started with imported species from Latin America during 1700s. By the 1800s, Americans were importing them. Breeding work spread to other countries as well, but Holland and South Africa export the most bulbs to the U.S.

More than likely, the amaryllis or hippeastra bulb you purchase — whichever you want to call it — will be a bulb. You can purchase the plants already in bloom but they are often fragile and difficult to transport with flowers on them. You are missing a great part of the show if you purchase them already in bloom. Watching as the buds lift high into the air and then open one by one is fascinating.

The size of the bulb makes a difference. Larger bulbs hold more stored energy, hence they produce more and bigger flowers. Smaller bulbs will likely not bloom as well. Premium bulbs are more expensive but they are very large and produce accordingly.

Most often you will find bulbs pre-planted, perhaps in dry soil waiting to break dormancy, or perhaps it will have begun to grow. However, you may be able to find a nursery that sells unspotted bulbs and you can see what its size and condition are before you plant. If you buy a pre-planted bulb, try to ascertain its condition before you take it home.

Amaryllises love light, so put yours in a well-lit spot that is not too hot. Water correctly by keeping the growing medium damp but not wet. Over-watering is a common practice that rots the bulbs. You won’t need to water much at first, but as the buds grow and develop they use more water. There is no need to fertilize because the energy is stored inside the bulb. The flower will require sometime between two weeks and three months to bloom after you purchase or pot them. Some rebloom in a few weeks but most bloom only once a year. Purchased bulbs usually produce one or two flower spikes with three to six flowers per stem.

Keep the flower in cooler areas as much as possible and especially away from heat registers, fireplaces or TV tops. If the atmosphere is too warm as they grow, the stems extend very tall and become weak and floppy.

The flowers are top-heavy in any case, so you may want to tie them loosely to a dowel for support.

Like other plants I have talked about in other columns, you may want to toss this plant after it blooms, or you may enjoy growing it to re-bloom. Properly cared for, amaryllis bulbs can produce flowers for 75 years. However, it does go through a green period and then a dormant period before it blooms again. Many people choose not to bother with these plants for a second year.

These plants are not as difficult to rebloom as some other plants are. After they finish blooming, cut off the spent stems and let the leaves continue to grow. If yours are in a very small pot or plastic holder, repot them into a good pot with drainage.

Grow the plant in a warm, bright location and let it produce its long strap-like leaves. Add soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks to help build up the bulb’s strength. After danger of frost is past, place the pots outdoors in a shaded area. If you bury the pot, the plant will do very well and require less water. Water and fertilize the plants to keep them actively growing.

Bring them inside in mid-September, before fall frosts arrive and continue growing them indoors until they provide another blossom to light up your winter.