A good Alstro is hard to find. The dwarf varieties are ever plagued by snails/slugs, Many of the most exquisite varieties (patented) are poor garden performers, lacking vigor or something. Enter this most fave cultivar. First of all its orange and many will confuse it with the more diminutively flowering A. aurantiacus which can become an ineradicable weed. THIS IS NOT THAT. Its a polite clumper with enough vigor to send up fully 30″ flowering stems repeatedly for up to 6 weeks in summer. Speaking of which the individual flower will last up to two weeks in a vase. Do not cut them (which injures the plant – it bleeds out) rather gently rock the base of the stem back and forth to detach. This will help and not hurt it. Regular summer irrigation in rich, moisture retentive soil. Winter deciduous. To 2′ wide..
Genus: Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria psittacina ‘Variegata’
A really multidimensional perennial for part shade, rich soil and light summer water. The sage green, almost rubbery textured leaves are emargined in creamy white. In summer, 2′ spikes support groups of tubular red and green flowers. The interior of the flower is decorated with black hatch marks on a white backdrop. Fantastic long lasting cut flower that should be pulled gently from the base to detach and never cut with a pruner. Spreads somewhat thinly to cover some ground. Posses the ability to compete with other plants and can happily coexist with shorter ground cover- flower spikes coming up right through. Completely winter deciduous. Bait for slugs when it first re-emerges in spring. Once its up a bit you are safe. Long lived cold hardy perennial that is pretty permanent. Hummingbirds love the flowers as much as stylish gardeners.