flowers

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I am trying to find information on a flower called "alstromaria" (I think that is the correct spelling). Would love to hear from anyone who has grown it and where I can find it. Is it an annual, perennial and what kind of conditions does it prefer?

Thank you,

TD Matheny

-- TD Matheny (theny@intrex.net), March 21, 2002

Answers

I found this address doing a google search. Hope it's what you want.

http://www.possumpages.com.au/newgipps/bulb1.htm

Good luck!

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), March 21, 2002.


The spelling on it is Alstroemeria, also known as a Peruvian Lily . I don't know a lot about them, except what I have read. They are a tender perennial that says zone 5 to 9.

I have potted ones growing in my conservatory glass room in a western window over winter. The culture sticker says organically rich, fertile, well-drained soil in sun to part shade.

The one that I have has gone through three flushes of bloom last summer and into fall. I trimmed off the spent flowers after the petals fell, and they rebloomed. Over the winter, they went dormant, faded and paled, and eventually started to dry out. I thought that it had died, but continued to water it anyway and was pleasantly surprised to find that there are 5 very sturdy new shoots coming up through the dry stuff. I cleared it off and they're starting to grow again.

I've seen it offered in Wayside catalog as wekk as some others.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), March 21, 2002.


TD, I've seen it in the Park Seed company (www.parkseed.com) catalog. They list it as being hardy from zones 7-10 but everything else in their description agrees with what Julie told you. I haven't grown them yet, I just ordered some seed though. The catalog says that they grow up to 3 feet tall and bloom from early summer to early fall. They are a rather tender perennial but the catalog says that they can be dug in the fall and stored inside similar to dahlias or gladiolus. Park's has a couple of different varieties and sells the seed for $1.95 per packet.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), March 21, 2002.

Mona Lisa Alstroemeria is also a new "Top Choice for 2002" entry in the Jung's catalog. www.jungseed.com on the Internet. I'll be in the local Jung's store tomorrow and several packets of seed will be on the way to TD for her to try. $2.25 for 10 seeds. All data that I have found tells of multiplying by division rather than seed. However, I have also started dahlia and amaryllis from seed in the past with the only drawback being that it takes several seasons to get flowers. Could be the same with alstroemeria.

Think spring!

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), March 21, 2002.


Thank you, Anna, Julie, Murray for great info on alstroemeria. Martin, you're a luv.

Trudy

-- TD Matheny (theny@intrex.net), March 22, 2002.



Trudy, flattery will still have you getting ONLY two packets of alstroemeria from me! Seriously, this is apparently a hot item for Jung's this year. Already the company headquarters has stopped supplying their outlets with seed. The seeds that they have on hand must now be saved for the mail-order customers.

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), March 22, 2002.

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