Alstromeria or Peruvian lily

Alstromeria hybrids

Alstromeria is a common cut flower with a long vase life.  The flowers can last for 3 weeks with adequate care in vase.  It is also a very good garden plant.  Alstromeria comes with so many colors, flower patterns and heights.  The colors include yellow, orange, salmon, pink, red, mauve, lavender, purple, cream, white, bi-colors and tri-colors.   The flowers have six petals and typically the 3 center petal have speckles, short stripes and blotches of other color.  There are also varieties without the speckles and blotches. The height ranges from ground hugging to 3 feet tall.  With so many varieties, you are sure to find at least one variety you like.

 A pale yellow seedless variety about 3-feet tall

 A red seedless variety about 3-feet tall

 A seedless pinkish-red variety about 3-feet tall

 A ground-hugging yellow variety

 A short (1 foot) purple variety that produces numerous seeds and seedlings

Flower arrangement with alstromeria

A seedling with a very pretty pinkish-red color

In my garden, some are evergreen and some are deciduous.  But they all typically start growing in early spring, first with non-flowering low-growing branches, followed by flowering branches in April and May. Each flower branches has 12 to 16 flowers.  So there are a lot of flowers per plant as alstromeria expand externally in a circular pattern each year. The tall varieties tend to be infertile and do not bear seeds.  But other varieties produce almost a seed pot for every flower. which has 5- to 15 spherical seeds.  Left alone, the seed pod will open up and scatter around the seeds.  Some of the seeds will sprout and in 2 years will flower.  The seedlings tend to be less florious and shorter than the parents.  The colors and patterns are similar to the parents with minor variation.  Occasionally, a seedling will have plenty of flowers with pretty new color and worth saving.  I have one that has a very nice red color (see above picture) with a good 2-feet height.

I have not noticed any pest or disease so far affecting the alstromeria.  Only gophers occasionally will eat the roots.  They just need regular water and fertilizer and reliably return the cares with loads and loads of flowers.  It grows best in the fluffy loam soil but will also flourish in the dense clay soil.  Alstromeria tends to form a clump that gets bigger every year.  They attract bees and humming birds.  All in all, it is a low-maintenance plant with many many beautiful flowers that can be also enjoyed indoors as cut flowers.

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