Alstroemeria
Peruvian Lily
These stunning plants add an exotic touch to the border and a refined look to any flower arrangement with their elaborate blend of vivaciously colored and intricately marked flowers. The Lily-like blooms are borne in large heads above bushy spreading clumps of linear foliage. Thriving in well-drained soil, Alstroemerias need protection from intense sun and extreme winters. Mulch heavily in colder areas or try planting in a container, bringing them into a cool garden room for the winter.
Many Alstroemerias have made claim to being white, but few have made the mark. Clearly, ‘Casablanca’ comes the closest. Inside its loose white flower clusters, a wash of yellow sets off cinnabar dashes, while a pale pink swath enhances light green lines on the flip side. Grand in more ways than one, ‘Casablanca’ stands taller than most of our Alstroemeria offerings.
Blooms June–August
Size: 3' 0" – 4' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Alstroemeria ‘Champagne’ (P-1601)
Each $16.75
Sporting a vigorous stately habit and a floral display similar to ‘Casablanca’s, ‘Champagne’ is distinguished by elegant blossoms that entertain an antique-toned creamy color. Merlot etchings on the inner petals and rosy patches on the backs of the light-hued outer petals further embellish the easy-to-blend blooms.
Blooms June–August
Size: 3' 0" – 4' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Procured nearly 20 years ago, this seldom offered Alstroemeria is more stunning than its name might imply. Alluring cherry red blossoms with dark maroon dashes and bright blond inner splotches sojourn on a compact bushy mass of short leaf-lined stalks.
‘Compact Red’ maintains its upright stance and is well-suited for a container or the frontlines, surrounded by other richly rubescent bloomers like Kniphofia ‘Nancy’s Red’, Sanguisorba ‘Red Thunder’ and Monarda ‘Jacob Klein’.
Blooms June – August
Size: 18" – 2' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
This exquisite white-flowering cultivar arose from a years-long breeding program initiated by French horticulturist Jean-Pierre Turc. Proffering a pollinator-friendly display for nearly 6 months, the plentiful white flowers reveal pink and green splashes contrasted with snazzy claret-hued bars above a low-growing lush foundation of erect stem and linear, 3 in. long, pointy green leaves. ‘Duchess d’Anjou Beatrice’s pearlescent flowers make luminous additions to wedding bouquets, while her snug diminutive guise appreciates appropriate winter shelter and readily rules smaller-sized recesses, cutting gardens or courtyard pots.
Blooms June–September
Size: 12" – 20" high x 18" & spreading wide.
Zone 7b/8.
Alstroemeria ‘Dusty Rose’ (P-0284)
Each $16.75
Blushed with a medley of lovely old-fashioned pinks, this beauty came to us from a U.C. Davis college professor years ago. Its jungle-like foundation of handsome foliage culminates in rose-hued flowers warmed by butter-yellows, creamy streaks and dark wine-colored markings. Claret brush strokes and just a hint of green engrave the petals’ exterior.
Blooms June–August
Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Both a florist shop’s darling and a star in the garden, ‘Henry’s Violet’ struts dandy bicolored blooms. Vivid violet-hued outer petals reveal white throats with burgundy flecks, a chartreuse dusting, flaxen highlights and several prominent magenta-laced purple blotches. Sturdy long stems and a flood of fresh green foliage support the large open-funneled flowers that cavort amid Stachys ‘Hummelo’, Salvia ‘Whirly Blue’ and Kniphofia ‘Minister Verschuur’ above our stonewall.
Blooms June–August.
Size: 3' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Highlighted by orchid pink, lilac and rose colors, and boldly patterned with numerous wine-colored dashes, the bright white petals of this Alstroemeria will leave you spellbound. Superimpose against a dark green hedge or plant amid white flowering Francoa sonchifolia and Gaura ‘So White’, and a memorable sight is yours for the viewing!
Blooms June – August
Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Boasting a compact tailored habit, improved winter hardiness and a generous long-lasting floral fete, this sunshine-colored beauty is a recent member of the Majestic series from breeder Turcieflor in the Loire Valley of France. Firm stems clothed in lusty lance-shaped green foliage bolster the ample terminal clusters of funnel-shaped canary-yellow blooms with rose-colored blushes plus burgundy striations, which serve as nectar-guides for beneficial pollinators. Loose well-drained soil, regular dead-heading and adequate winter protection around 10° ensure ‘Layon’s good health and bountiful blossoms.
Blooms June–September
Size: 2-1/2' – 3' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Zone 7b.
Alstroemeria ‘Marjorie’s Hybrid’ (P-0603)
Each $16.75
Ample Lilyesque blooms feature a cozy mingling of dusty mauve, blushed salmon and sunburst gold areas peppered with wine-colored bars. Shouldered by plucky broad green leaves, ‘Marjorie’s Hybrid’s floral coloration is softer than ‘Third Harmonic’s, rendering it an amiable companion for silver-foliaged plants and yellow, pink, blue or purple-hued flowers.
Blooms June–August
Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
A lusty presentation of shiny green foliage anchors large abundant clusters of rose pink blooms, flaunting a decidedly feminine aspect. Pink and green tubular buds unfurl flared trumpets, which emphasize chartreuse bands on the outside and on the inside, a rosy mauve cast with lightly blushed patches, burgundy markings and delicate dark feathering along the edges.
Blooms June–August
Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Alstroemeria ‘Princess Victoria’ (P-0489)
Each $16.75
Awash in saturated, deep coral pinks and canary yellows, ‘Princess Victoria’ celebrates a spirited flowery affair. Salmon-tinged petals are darkened by dusty-rose shades on the backside and set aglow inside by 2 orangey pink-tipped upper petals painted with sunshine hues and small crimson striations. Guaranteed to charm, this Alstroemeria’s lush, medium green base is a soothing counterpoint to its fanciful flowers.
Blooms June–August
Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Alstroemeria ‘Princess Fabiana’ (P-2197)
Each $16.75
Hats off to Holland’s Van Zanten Plants for this exceptional low-growing variegated sport of ‘Princess Daniela’. Adorned with burgundy streaks and the softest yellow swath on the inside plus chartreuse and rose-colored dapples on the flip sides, countless creamy-white blooms sojourn above petite lance-shaped green leaves that sport perky porcelain-hued margins. Unhampered by heat and humidity, the snug tailored mound projects sparkling panache in a patio container, atop a rock wall or along a pathway. (pp#17,991)
Blooms June–August
Size: 10" – 12" high x 18" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Alstroemeria ‘Princess Lilian’ (P-2220)
Each $16.75
This new Dutch-based Royal Van Zanten introduction peacocks a gregarious burst of big funnel-like magenta-purple blooms heightened by flaxen-colored swaths with maroon dashes on the inside and chartreuse brushstrokes on the outer petals. Popular amongst gardeners short on space, flower arrangers and butterflies, her prismatic flowers top a low-growing lush bushy mound that emphasizes strong stems plus snug lance-shaped green leaves. ‘Princess Lilian’ can hold court in patio containers or small planting beds, and along pathways or atop walls, where she promises to turn quite a few heads.
Blooms June–September
Size: 10" – 14" high x 18" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
A prized outcome from the late Fred Meyer’s efforts to improve upon a group of European Alstroemeria hybrids, ‘Rachel’ is named after former nursery owner Judy Wigand’s granddaughter, and is renown for her tidy, compact stature and pretty purple blooms. Eye catching lemon-yellow shades give a sunny lift, while snazzy maroon dashes and dark violet splotches enhance the good-sized flower clusters.
Atop a short and shiny, thickset foliar clump that’s quite hardy, the sumptuous orchid shades look especially boisterous when matched with other Alstroemerias such as ‘Yellow Friendship’ and ‘Princess Victoria’.
Blooms June – August
Size: 2' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Alstroemeria ‘Red Valley’ (P-1689)
Each $16.75
A passionate drama is played out when this cultivar’s seductive blooms unfurl in sassy shades of bright red with scarlet overtones. Staged above thick, ribbed green foliage, the bold floral presentation is heightened by cocoa-colored streaks amid primrose-yellow splashes on the upper petals. ‘Valley Red’ produces flowers that are far more sultry than ‘Princess Victoria’s and makes a sublime companion for reddish chocolate-leafed Eupatorium ‘Chocolate’.
Blooms June–August
Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Aptly named, ‘Third Harmonic’ showcases a harmonious union of lavish color, resonating in gilded saffron, sunflower yellow, peach and dusky orange, while darker tints shade the tips and underside of each petal. Deep maroon bars impose a lively pattern on the warm-hued flower clusters that alight verdant leafy stems.
Blooms June–August
Size: 3' 0" – 3-1/2' high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.
Always on the lookout for a cheerful yellow-flowering Alstroemeria, we were delighted to find this exceptional cultivar at Wisley Botanical Gardens outside of London. The blooms are golden-yellow inside, decorated with striking burgundy lines, while the outer petals are like a watercolor sunset, each with a deep purple blotch plus pink and mauve tones that fade toward the tips.
Blooms June–August
Size: 3' 0" high x 2' 0" & spreading wide.
Hardy to zone 8.