Alstromeria Flowers
Alstroemeria Flowers Meaning And Pictures
Name : Alstromeria Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Alstroemeria, (Alstroemeria aurea)
Alstromeria Description
Alstroemeria comes from the family Alstroemeriaceae. It is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants and is native to South America.
Common names include Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas. It is sometimes also called 'Ulster Mary’ which is actually a corruption of the genus name.
Alstroemeria flower is found mainly in cool, mountainous regions in the Andes. Alstroemeria resembles a miniature lily, hence the common name of Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas. Alstroemeria derives its name from the Swedish baron Clas Alströmer (Claus von Alstroemer 1736 - 1794) who collected the seeds on a trip to Spain in 1753. It was named by his close friend Carolus Linnaeus.
Alstroemeria flowers are beautifully spotted and marked perennials with deep, thick roots. Their average height is about two to three feet and they have strong, branched stems. Each trumpet-shaped flower measures an inch or two across.
Alstroemeria are available in a variety of stunning colours, ranging from white to golden yellow, orange to apricot, pink to red, cream, lavender and purple and are spotted or streaked with contrasting colours.
Alstroemeria blossoms show in late spring and stay till late summer. The flowers of Alstroemeria don’t have any fragrance. Alstroemeria will stop producing flowers if they get too hot. Alstroemeria plants propagate by division and also from seed, though the latter is a slow process. The seeds usually take about 1 to 12 months to germinate, depending on the specific variety cultivated.
Peruvian Lilies are an excellent choice to add colour and depth to the garden.
As cut flowers, Alstroemeria flowers have a vase life of about two weeks and are very popular for bouquets and flower arrangements.
Different varieties include Alstroemeria aurea (Lily of the Incas), Alstroemeria aurantiaca (Peruvian Lily), Alstroemeria caryophyllaea (Brazilian Lily), Alstroemeria haemantha (Purplespot Parrot Lily), Alstroemeria psittacina (Lily of the Incas, White-edged Peruvian Lily) and Alstroemeria pulchella (Parrot Lily, Parrot Flower, Red Parrot Beak, New Zealand Christmas Bell).
Alstromeria Meaning
The Peruvian Lily symbolizes Wealth, Prosperity, and Fortune. It is also considered to be the flower of Friendship and Devotion. They make excellent gifts to friends to show appreciation and to strengthen the bond of friendship.
The leaves of the Peruvian Lily grow upside down, with the leaf twisting as it grows out from the stem, so that the bottom is facing upwards; this is believed to represent the twists, turns and growth of relationships.
Alstromeria Mythology
The beginnings of the Alstroemeria flower go back hundreds of years and in some countries, the Alstroemeria is considered to be a sacred flower.
