Alstroemeria Rock 'N' Roll - Peruvian Lily

Alstroemeria Rock 'N' Roll is one of the very first varieties of relatively hardy variegated Inca lilies. It is difficult not to succumb to this pretty, bushy and bright plant, with very light stems adorned with green leaves on a pale yellow to white background, on which bright flowers bloom, a vivid orange-red with a golden throat. And the show lasts all summer, in the garden or in a pot on the terrace. Rock 'N' Roll is also a perennial plant that beautifies year after year if you take care to offer it a rich and well-drained soil and regular watering in dry weather.

Alstroemeria, belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, are perennial plants with tuberous roots native to South America. The hardiest, like A. aurantiaca, are native to the Chilean Andes and Patagonia. These high-altitude plants can withstand frost and thrive in cool, well-drained soil in lightly wooded areas. Slow to establish, Inca lilies can disappear or... become invasive! Quirky but fantastic plants, very sensitive to growing conditions, they are "indestructible" once you find the right spot for them. Horticulturists have been working in recent years to develop more reliable and resistant varieties for our wet and cold winters. The Rock 'N' Roll cultivar is a variegated mutation derived from the 'Red Baron' cultivar.

Rock 'N' Roll quickly forms dense clumps from spring, with many leafy stems reaching about 50cm (20in) in height when flowering, with a similar spread. The flowering takes place from June-July to late August, uninterrupted if the soil remains moist. Each flower stalk carries several flowers, 5-6cm (2in) in size, gathered in terminal umbels. They are composed of 3 small central petals surrounded by 3 slightly wider petals of the same orange-red colour, but speckled with golden yellow and pointed with brown. The foliage, abundant and exceptionally decorative in this variety, is arranged along the stems. The leaves are irregularly bordered and striped with dark green around a centre that gradually transitions from tender yellow to cream-white. The foliage and stems disappear in winter, leaving only the slightly trailing stump with fleshy roots underground. The roots are sensitive to the shock of transplantation, especially in older plants.

The Rock 'N' Roll Alstroemeria is a truly different Inca lily, to be placed prominently at the edge of a flower bed or in a pot on the terrace. When well established, this exuberant plant offers a magnificent spectacle. In the garden, it pairs well, for example, with smaller Agapanthus varieties ('Golden Drop', 'Silver Moon'). It can also be associated with complementary grasses; Stipa, small Miscanthus or Muhlenbergia capillaris will accompany its flowering with their foliage and delicate blooms. In a large flower pot, combine this colourful variety with blue lobelias or Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', for example.