Alstroemeria Summer Paradise Summertime - Peruvian Lily

The Inca Lily or Alstroemeria 'Summertime' is part of a new line of hybrids called Summer Paradise, resistant to cold, capable of surviving occasional freezes of around -15°C (5°F), and therefore well adapted to outdoor cultivation in most climates. This alstroemeria is also blessed with a good floribundity in the form of elegant white flowers, barely shaded with grey-pink and delicately enhanced with purple-tinted yellow stripes on the throat, highlighted by beautiful shiny dark green foliage.

The 'Summertime' Alstroemeria is a recent Dutch variety resulting from hybridising several tuberous species native to South America, particularly the Chilean Andes. These high-altitude plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family are more or less hardy and appreciate cool, well-drained soil in lightly wooded and fresh areas. Slow to establish, they can disappear or... become invasive! Quirky but fantastic plants, susceptible to growing conditions, are "indestructible" once you find the right spot for them.

'Summertime' surprises with its hardiness. The plant quickly forms clumps of robust leafy stems that can reach 70 cm (28in) in height when in bloom, with a spread of 50 cm (20in). Flowering takes place from June to October-November. The very open flowers are gathered in terminal umbels. They consist of 3 small central petals, pale grey-pink shaded white, a white centre streaked with brown, and three broader petals of the same white. Each plant can produce at least 30 flowers. The foliage is arranged on the upper part of the stems. The leaves of this variety have an elegant dark green colour. Foliage and stems disappear in winter, leaving only the trailing stump with fleshy roots underground. The roots are sensitive to the transplantation shock, especially in older plants.

'Summertime' Alstroemeria is a superb variety for the garden. This exceptional perennial, when mature, creates a magnificent spectacle in flower beds or on a partially shaded slope. This plant pairs well, for example, with other varieties from the Summer Paradise series (Summer Break, Indian Summer, etc.), with magenta red shrubby salvias or complementary grasses. Stipa, small Miscanthus, or Muhlenbergia capillaris will accompany its autumn colours with their foliage and magnificent late-season blooms. One can also plant Ceratostigma plumbaginoides alongside it, with intensely blue flowers and red foliage in October. A marvel! It can also be grown in pots.

Note: Please be aware that our plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners. Upon receipt, repot and store them in sheltered areas (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before planting outdoors once the risk of frost has definitively passed.