Alstroemeria aka Lily Of The Incas

Alstroemeria, also known as the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae. These plants are native to South America, with some species naturalized in various regions including the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. The genus exhibits two distinct centers of diversity, with species in central Chile and eastern Brazil. Chilean species are winter-growing, while those from Brazil are summer-growing. Most Alstroemeria species are long-lived perennials, except for A. graminea, an annual found in the Atacama Desert of Chile. These herbaceous perennials form compact, clump-forming plants that reach about 20cm in height. They feature glossy, lance-shaped leaves of mid-green color. During summer to autumn, terminal clusters of intense lavender-purple to pink, funnel-shaped flowers with a yellow throat and dark brown streaking bloom. Alstroemeria plants have fleshy roots and spread through clumps of erect stems. They bear narrowly lance-shaped leaves and display umbels of showy funnel-shaped flowers in summer. One example of this genus is Princess Paola, a compact perennial that grows up to 35cm tall. It has lance-shaped green leaves and produces funnel-shaped flowers from summer to autumn. These flowers consist of white outer petals marked with a pink central bar, and pink-tipped, streaked inner petals that form a yellow center.