Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria, commonly called the Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas or Parrot Lily is a South American genus of about 50 species of flowering plants, mainly from cool, mountainous regions in the Andes. Their means is friendship.

Facts About Alstroemeria :

• Alstroemeria flowers bloom during late spring or early summer.
• Alstroemeria come in orange, pink, rose, purple, red, yellow, white or salmon colors.
• Alstroemeria is named after the Swedish botanist Klas von Alstroemer, who was a pupil of the great botanical classifier Linnaeus.
• The genus Alstroemeria consists of about 50 species.
• Alstroemeria leaves are upside down. The leaf twists as it leaves the stem, so that the bottom is facing upwards.
• Alstroemeria is more like grass where the veins go up the leaves but none branching across. This can also be seen in grasses, irises and lilies.
• Alstroemeria flowers are no fragrance.
• If you look at an Alstroemeria stem you can sometimes see a spiral growth pattern on the stem.
• This is due to the production of new cells in a spiral sequence and this is the cause of the head moving the way it does.
• Most modern hybrid Alstroemeria plants are propagated in a laboratory.
• Not all Alstroemeria have striped petals.
• Alstroemeria stop producing flowers if they get too hot.

Some Species of Alstroemeria :

• Alstroemeria aurea - Lily of the Incas.
• Alstroemeria aurantiaca - Peruvian Lily/Alstroemeria Princess Lily
• Alstroemeria caryophyllacea - Brazilian Lily
• Alstroemeria haemantha - Purplespot Parrot Lily
• Alstroemeria ligtu - Lily-of-the-Nile
• Alstroemeria psittacina - Lily of the Incas, White-edged Peruvian Lily/White Alstroemeria
• Alstroemeria pulchella - Parrot Lily, Parrot Flower, Red Parrot Beak, New Zealand Christmas Bell

Growing Alstroemerias :

• Plant alstroemeria in full sun in well-drained soil.
• Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole.
• Place the plants no deeper than they were growing in the containers.
• Set the plants 1 foot apart.
• Mulch around but not on top of the plants with 3 inches of organic compost.
• Water well until soil is completely moist.

Plant Care of Alstroemeria :

• Cut off old flower stems with bypass pruners.
• Mulch around but not on top of the plants in early spring with 3 inches of organic compost.
• Water well weekly until soil is completely moist in summers with no rainfall.