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Alstroemeria 'Tricolor' (Tricolor Peruvian Lily) - A durable and vigorous evergreen perennial that makes thick clumps of tuberous rhizomes with sturdy stems rising to 2 to 3 feet tall and spreading to an equal width that bear very large (to 2 1/2inches wide!) uniquely colored trumpet shaped flowers that have the larger lower tepals a light corral pink color with darker centers and the smaller inner tepals yellow to white with pink tips and maroon dashes - a really attractive combination! Plants have a crown of slender rhizomes that attach to the succulent tuberous storage roots below and from the eye on these rhizomes new unbranched shoots arise to produce narrow leaves along the stem and an umbel of flowers at the tip.
Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-draining soil and water regularly to occasionally in late spring and early summer. Tolerates fairly dry conditions in coastal gardens but vigor and flowering is best when plants are irrigated. Considered hardy to 0-10° F, but possibly tolerating lower temperatures if mulched. When trimming or cutting Alstroemeria for flowers it is best to pull the stems straight up and out, so they break off below ground at the crown to stimulate the formation of new shoots, but do so carefully so not to pull out pieces of the rhizome itself.
The genus Alstroemeria (at times spelled Alstremeria) was named by Carl Linnaeus, often called the Father of Taxonomy, for his friend and student Klaus von Alstroemer (Clas Alströmer), a Swedish baron. Alstroemeria come from two areas within South America with summer growing species restricted to eastern Brazil and winter-growing plants from central Chile with common names such as Peruvian Lily, Parrot Lily, or Lily of the Incas. This cultivar is great in the garden with its notably longer flowering period than many other Alstroemeria cultivars and for its sturdy tall stems bear attractive and colorful flowers that make a splash in the garden and are great in the vase. Our plants were purchased from Suncrest Nurseries when they went out of business in 2023 with the idea of continuing production of this nice plant with its large bicolored flowers so that it was not lost in the California nursery trade.
This information about Alstroemeria 'Tricolor' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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