#peruvian lily

Alstroemeria - so many beautiful colors!!

Another survivor of years of neglect behind the motel.

AKA Alstroemeria araucana, aurantiaca, chiloensis, concolor, mutabilis nivali, peruviana, pulchella and xanthina. The current epithet means 'golden', and the genus honours the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer, a friend of Linnaeus.

Not actually native to Peru - it's found in Chile and Argentina, widely grown as an ornamental, and escaped into the wild in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Can survive temperatures down to -10°C.

The family Alstroemeriaceae includes some 254 species, in 4 genera - although 6 of those species and two of the genera used to comprise the family Luzuriagaceae. Most of the species are endemic to Central and South America, although half of the former Luzuriagaceae are endemic to New Zealand and Australia.

Flowers in Vancouver (No. 3)

Alstroemeria, commonly called the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae. They are all native to South America, although some have become naturalized in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Almost all of the species are restricted to one of two distinct centers of diversity: one in central Chile and southern Argentina, the other in eastern Brazil. Species of Alstroemeria from Patagonia are winter-growing plants, while those of Brazil are summer growing. All are long-lived perennials except A. graminea, a diminutive annual from the Atacama Desert of Chile.

Design ideas for a large eclectic drought-tolerant and full sun backyard stone landscaping in spring.