Alstroemeria or Peruvian Lilies make great flowers for picking and are long lasting in a vase. When established they are easy to grow.

Get your plants from Thompson & Morgan who supply plants and seeds. The seeds need patience and some skill.

Culture of Alstroemeria

• Plenty of organic matter and regular watering  helps Alstroemeria thrive.
• Alstromeria like a sheltered site in sun or partial shade. They can form good solid clumps and some varieties self seed.
• Taller 3 feet plus Alstroemeria need staking or they may be knocked down by rain or wind. Ligtu hybrids should be self supporting.
• Apollo varieties cope well with frost and flower in three or four separate flushes.
• Deadhead regularly by pulling out the flowering stem.



• Scatter a slow release fertilizer in spring
• When picking for indoors pull the whole stem from near the base. They can last 3 weeks in a vase.
• Great for borders and containers withgood drainage.
• Plant at a depth of 3cm.
• Mulch for the first 2 years. In frost prone areas maintain a dry mulch in winter.
• If the plant gets too hot in the summer they may stop flowering and put their effort to producing more tuberous roots.
• Propagate established clumps by division in early spring or autumn.

Varieties

•  Taller varieties include  Apollo  (AGM)  white with a yellow speckled throat,  Friendship (AGM) pale yellow and later flowering, Prince Alice has rich pink flowers and Perfect Blue is lavender coloured
• Medium growers inclue Blushing Bride white with a pink blush, Adonis deep pink, Freedom rose with red throat patterns and the orange Princess Sophia.
• A smaller fragrant variety has been launched by Thomposn Morgan called Sweet Laura see below