A rainbow of colors!

This beautiful flower is native to South America, hence its common name Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas.  The plant was named after the Swedish naturalist, Baron Clas von AlstrÖmer, by his close friend and mentor, Carl Linnaeus.  Linnaeus was the Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist who formalized the modern system of naming organisms. 

Extensive hybridization between multiple Chilean and Brazilian species has resulted in the availability of flowers with a wide variety of markings and colors.  Named hybrids also range in height from one to four feet and have been selected for evergreen foliage that looks good year-round. Some cultivated hybrids are quite vigorous and can rapidly invade small gardens, so careful research is critical when choosing a variety to plant at home.

This is a very popular flower for bouquets and flower arrangements where the plant is appreciated for remaining attractive in a vase for a long period of time. When harvesting the flowers in your garden, pulling the flower stem directly out of the ground – rather than cutting it – has been found to stimulate more new growth and flowering.

Most cultivars available for the home gardener will bloom in late spring and early summer.  The plants require at least six hours of sunlight and need regular water and well-drained soil to thrive.