Flower Encyclopedia: AlstroemeriaThe plant is commonly called the Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas. The plant grows in cool mountainous regions of Peru, Brazil and Chile.
They grow two to three feet tall on strong, branched stems. Each trumpet-shaped flower is an inch or two in diameter. Flowers come in pink, rose, purple, yellow, cream, orange, and white. They are like miniature lilies, with spotted or striped markings, shaded color, or contrasting patches. Early in the summer, clusters of red flowers appear at the stem tips. The tubular 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) flowers look like distorted azalea blossoms that are struggling to open. The most fascinating trait of Alstroemeria and its relatives is the fact that the leaves are recuperate, that is, they twist from the base so that what appears to be the upper leaf surface is in fact the lower leaf surface.
The plant grows from clusters of white peanut-sized tubers arranged like the spokes of a wagon wheel. The stem is arrow-straight and the foliage is held in a horizontal position. The glistening parallel-veined pale green leaves tend to curl under at the edges and droop at the ends and always look a bit limp.
The plant likes rich and slightly acidic soil. It grows well in full sun where summer temperatures are moderate. High or partial shade is preferred in hot climates.
The plants are distinctive vegetative, with a rootstock consisting of a slender rhizome or group of rhizomes. Storage roots consist of sausage-like water storing structures "suspended" from the rhizome by major roots. In this way the root system resembles that of dahlias. Above-ground shoots may be very short in some alpine Andean species or up to about 1.5 m tall in other species. Each year (more often in some hybrids) up to 80 new shoots are produced from the rootstock and each terminates in an umbel of a few up to 10 or so flowers.
The plant lends red color and exotic atmosphere to the garden. They also make good cut flowers with an exceptionally long vase life. The roots of many Alstroemeria species are used to make a starchy farina
Did you know?
· The genus was named for the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer a pupil of the great botanical classifier Linnaeus who went to South America and sent back seeds of species of this flower.
