The holiday season is alive with tradition Christmas trees, decorated homes, carolers, family gathering and poinsettias. A relatively new tradition is gaining on the poinsettia as the favorite Christmas plant, according to sales reports of holiday plants. This is the amaryllis.

With many varieties and colors to choose from, amaryllis is fast becoming a Christmas favorite, both for use in the home and as a gift. Unlike the popular poinsettia which is usually productive for only one season, the amaryllis bulb will flower year after year with proper care.

The amaryllis is a spectacular plant for bringing warm holiday color into the home. Each prepotted bulb produces one or more sturdy flowers that can be up to eight inches across. Resembling the lily, these exotic flowers can really add a dramatic focal point to the traditional holiday decorations. How exciting it is to see the tips of green leaves peeping up (just as a gift pot of three bulbs are doing right now).

Red is a popular holiday color for Christmas, but the pink and pink and white (Appleblossom) are quite popular. To think that all amaryllis are as red as the Christmas poinsettia, is to think that all orchids are purple. There is a tremendous variety beyond these colors, including orange, yellow melon striped, and a pure white.

The brilliant red Christmas amaryllis was discovered growing wild in Africa during the southern hemisphere's summer and was carried by fascinated botanists to England. The very next winter, when it was once again bloomtime in Africa -- the bulb surprised Londoners by bursting into bloom on Christmas Day!

These African amaryllis had many good points. They were completely free of the Mosaic virus that troubled cousins of the African amaryllis growing in other parts of the world and they were easily propagated. By careful cross-breeding with the Dutch amaryllis, a new hybrid was developed, which possessed the best points of both varieties.

Some nurseries imported their amaryllis directly from the growing fields in Africa, after rigorous inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bulbs then were sold to their mail order customers timed to bloom four to six weeks after arrival.

Not only is the amaryllis a spectacular flower, it is one of the easiest to force. It is especially easy, when preplanted, and all that is necessary is to water and watch the fat bloom spike grow literally inches in such a short while. This fascinating growth pattern makes the plant ideal for shut-in or children to watch.

The bloom is already inside the bulb and within days after it is brought to a warm place and a little moisture added the stalk begins to appear. It will produce blooms within a few weeks, with as many as four huge blossoms, measuring six to eight inches across. Later it may produce another bloom stalk and some rare ones have three.

About all the amaryllis demands is to have a comfortable place in your home, with an even temperature, but when the plant is in full bloom the flowers will last longer if the plant is removed to a cooler place for the night.

Do not put in full sunlight. Turn the pot regularly as the stalks grow toward the light. To hold the top heavy blooms erect stake the stalks with a wooden stake, but take care not to spear the bulb. Tie the stalk near the top, and wedge the prop along the edge of the pot.

When the flowers fade, cut the stem to two inches and return the pot to a sunny window. Let the long, strap-like leaves continue to grow to help rebuild the bulb for next year's flower.

The bulb can be fortified by fertilizing twice a month with an all-purpose house plant fertilizer. Apply fertilizer immediately after watering as fertilizing dry soil can burn tender roots and hinder growth.

When the flower fades, cut the stem to two inches and return the pot to a bright window, letting the long, strap-like leaves continue to grow, and continue to fertilize.

To insure the next year's bloom, they must be kept growing vigorously during the spring and summer. After danger of frost is past the plants should be moved outdoors into a protected spot. During the Summer they should always be kept watered and fertilized. Repotting is generally needed every three years.

In the fall, bulbs should be moved indoors before frost. Withhold water until the leaves dry off and the bulb becomes dormant. After six to eight weeks, the dormant period should be completed and the process can be started all over again.

In addition to their beauty and holiday timeliness, amaryllis are amazingly easy to care for. Once established, the bulbs put on showy displays that never cease to amaze their beholders.