Alstroemerias are a variety of a Peruvian lily.
They are fleshy rooted herbaceous perennials that form a nice, spreading clump of erect stems over a few years. They bear narrowly lance-shaped leaves, with loads of beautiful showy funnel-shaped flowers in the summer and early autumn.
The lily-like flowers come in a choice of vibrant colours, including pinks, reds, purples, yellows, oranges and creamy-whites, often adorned with speckles, blotches and stripes. They die back over winter and re-sprout in spring.
Typically they grow to a height of upto 1m with a spread of upto 50cm.
One of my favourite varieties is Indian Summer - the dark green and almost purple leaves set the yellowy orange flowers off superbly. And those red and brown streaks add another dimension!
This is a variety that I planted in my own garden in 2022.
Planting and care:
They love a warm, sunny, sheltered spot. However they will tolerate light shade, but flower best in sun. Try to avoid planting in a particularly cold or exposed location - the flower stems might bet damaged.
Like lots of perennials, Alstromerias are happy in most soils as long as the soil is free draining and not to wet - the roots may rot in damp conditions, especially in winter
They love rich soil. Digging in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure, before you plant them is a great idea.
Although they're reasonably drought tolerant they need to be kept watered and fed during dry periods. They appreciate a good dose of a high potash feed during the growing season.
Support any taller varieties and enjoy picking the often long lived flowers. In the first year after planting make sure you cut the flower - so as not to disturb the new roots. In subsequent years pick the flowers by giving them a quick tug downwards. This will stimulate another bud so you ought to get even more flowers!
Most Alstromerias are reasonably hardy - but for the first few years after initial planting they'll appreciate a nice thick mulch whilst they set down their roots.
Where can I buy them? I’m so glad you asked that. We've been selling them at The Station Approach in Frome over the past few years and you can now, of course, buy them through Plant a Border.
We're planning to be at The Station Approach every first Saturday of the month from 8am until 1pm.
Use the Contact page to get in touch and we'll be happy to let you know what we're upto.
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