Alstroemeria

These pretty flowers come from South America.

They are called Peruvian lilies. The flowers have six petals. They come in many bright colors. Some are red, pink, or yellow. They also have dark stripes. These plants grow from small lumps in the ground. They can live in forests or swamps. These flowers stay fresh in water for a long time. They can last for 14 days!

They make lovely bouquets for your home.

Alstroemeria are beautiful plants from South America.

People often call them Peruvian lilies. They are very popular in flower bouquets. These flowers can stay fresh in water for 14 days.

These plants grow from a cluster of tubers. Tubers are thick parts of a plant that store food. The leaves are special too. They are resupinate. This means they twist on their stems. Because of this twist, the bottom of the leaf faces up. The flowers have six petals. They come in many colors like red, yellow, and purple. Many flowers have dark stripes or flecks.

Most Alstroemeria live for many years. One small type is an annual. An annual is a plant that lives for only one year. Some species grow in the winter. Others grow in the summer. People in the 1980s crossed these types together. This made new plants that flower most of the year. These new plants are called hybrids. They are very showy and bright.

Alstroemeria are colorful plants that many people know as Peruvian lilies.

They belong to a group called Alstroemeriaceae. These plants are very important in the flower trade. People use them in bouquets because they are so pretty. They can stay fresh in water for up to 14 days.

This makes them a favorite for flower arrangements. They come in many bright colors like red, orange, and purple. Many petals even have dark stripes or flecks on them.

These plants have a very interesting way of growing. They grow from a cluster of tubers, which are thick parts that store food.

The leaves are also quite unusual. They are resupinate, which means they twist on their stems. Because of this twist, the leaf undersides actually face up.

The flowers usually have six petals and six curving stamens. The fruit of the plant is a capsule with three valves.

Scientists first described this group of plants a long time ago. In 1762, Johan Peter Falk wrote about them in a dissertation.

He worked with his supervisor, Carl Linnaeus. The name Alstroemeria honors a Swedish baron named Clas Alströmer.

He was a friend of Linnaeus. This history helps us understand how we named these flowers. It connects modern science to people from the 1700s.

Most Alstroemeria are native to South America.

They grow in places ranging from Venezuela to Argentina. There are two main areas where many different types live. One center is in central Chile and southern Argentina. The other center is in eastern Brazil.

In Chile, there are more than 50 different types. In Brazil, there are more than 40 types. They live in many habitats like forests, swamps, and grasslands.

Today, we see many special versions of these flowers in gardens. These are called hybrids, which are plants made by crossing two different types. In the 1980s, people in the United States began crossing species. They crossed winter-growing plants from Chile with summer-growing plants from Brazil.

This helped create plants that stay green and flower most of the year. Now, companies in the Netherlands do much of this breeding work. This is why you can find so many colors in shops today.

Alstroemeria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae.

They are commonly called Peruvian lilies or the lily of the Incas. These plants are highly valued in the commercial cut flower trade. Their flowers resemble miniature lilies and are popular in bouquets. They are remarkably durable, surviving up to 14 days in water without shrivelling.

This longevity makes them a staple for florists worldwide.

The physical structure of Alstroemeria is quite unique. These plants grow from a cluster of tubers.

They produce both fertile and sterile stems. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. A fascinating feature is that the leaves are resupinate. This means they twist on their petioles, or small stalks. Because of this twist, the undersides of the leaves face upward.

The flowers typically consist of six petals. These petals can be red, orange, yellow, green, purple, pink, or white. Many varieties feature dark flecks, stripes, or streaks. The plant is classified as an inferior monocot. This means the petals sit above the ovary, and the leaf veins are parallel.

Alstroemeria species exhibit different growth patterns based on their origins. Most are long-lived perennials. However, Alstroemeria graminea is an exception. It is a diminutive annual found in the Atacama Desert of Chile.

The genus also shows distinct seasonal behaviors. Species from Patagonia are winter-growing plants. In contrast, species from Brazil are summer-growing plants. This distinction is vital for understanding their natural life cycles.

The history of the genus is tied to early botanical science. Johan Peter Falk described the genus in his 1762 dissertation.

He worked under the supervision of Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus is the botanical authority for the genus, noted as 'L.' in scientific names. The name Alstroemeria was chosen to honor Clas Alströmer. He was a Swedish baron and a friend of Linnaeus.

This naming connects the plant to 18th-century European scientific circles.

Geographically, Alstroemeria is exclusively native to South America.

Their range extends from Venezuela, 3° north of the Equator, down to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, at 53° South. There are two primary centers of diversity. One center is in central Chile and southern Argentina. The other is in eastern Brazil.

In Chile, the genus is extremely diverse among vascular monocotyledons. There are more than 50 recognized taxa there. About 80% of these are endemic to the Mediterranean matorral zone. In Brazil, there are more than 40 species. Most Brazilian species live outside the Amazonian region. They are concentrated in the south and east. These plants inhabit various environments, from forests to swamps. They grow at altitudes ranging from 300m to 2300m.

Modern horticulture has transformed the genus through intensive breeding. There are now at least 190 cultivars and many hybrids. These were developed to provide a wider variety of colors and markings. A major breakthrough involved crossing Chilean species with Brazilian species.

This strategy solved a problem for florists regarding seasonal dormancy. By crossing winter-growing and summer-growing plants, breeders created nearly evergreen plants. These hybrids can flower for most of the year. This breeding work began with trials in the United States in the 1980s. Today, much of the primary breeding is done by companies in the Netherlands.

Alstroemeria also interacts with its environment in unexpected ways. Some species have escaped cultivation and become weeds. For example, Alstroemeria pulchella and Alstroemeria aurea are now considered weeds in Australia. In gardens, many cultivars are quite hardy. The Royal Horticultural Society has awarded several cultivars the Award of Garden Merit. These include 'Apollo', 'Coronet', and 'Phoenix'. Most of these have a hardiness rating of H4. The cultivar 'Friendship' is even hardier, with a rating of H5. These plants thrive with at least six hours of morning sunlight and well-drained soil.