How to Grow and Care for Alstroemeria Flowers

Lori VanoverUpdated: May 09, 2023

Alstroemeria, also known as Peruvian lily flowers, are popular with gardeners and florists. Find out how to grow these long-blooming beauties.

Alstroemeria Flower Care

Indian Summer Peruvian Lily — Indian Summer Peruvian lily features orange and yellow blooms

Alstroemeria
Zones: 6 to 10
Light needs: Full sun
Soil: Well-draining

This resilient perennial flower blooms for months, from summer through fall. Alstroemeria can be planted with other flowers in containers or featured all on its own in a border. It will return year after year when kept in well-draining soil in a sunny location. Deer typically leave it alone.

Consider adding these plants to your cutting garden. The tropical-looking flowers will stay fresh for two weeks or even longer in a vase. For best results, pull (don’t cut) flower stems when they first open.

The vibrant, exotic look of alstroemeria is also super attractive to hummingbirds looking for a colorful source of nectar. In excessively hot or dry conditions, flowering may slow down, but it should pick back up in cooler fall weather. This is a favorite perennial for gardeners in the West, where the plants flower all summer. Fertilize and water your plants regularly, but make sure the soil is not soggy or the tubers could rot.

There are many colors to choose from. The Summer Saint cultivar features bright pink blooms. For vivid yellow and orange flowers, try Indian Summer.

See the top 10 beautiful lily flowers to love.

Other Common Names

Alstroemeria is also commonly known as Peruvian lily, Lily of the Incas or Inca lily. Some people mistakenly think they are miniature versions of true lilies, however, these plants are in the Alstroemeriaceae family, not the Liliaceae family, and are native to Central and South America.

Daylily care 101: expert growing tips for gardeners.

Where to Buy Alstroemeria

If you want to grow these flowers in your own backyard, check with your local garden center or look at online for growers and garden retailers such as Burpee. These long-lasting blooms are also popular choices for bouquets and other floral arrangements, so consider them when you want to send flowers to someone special.

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Next, learn how to care for Oriental lily and Asiatic lily plants.

Originally Published: May 09, 2023

Lori Vanover

Lori has 20 years of experience writing and editing home, garden, birding and lifestyle content for several publishers. As Birds & Blooms senior digital editor, she leads a team of writers and editors sharing birding tips and expert gardening advice. Since joining Trusted Media Brands 13 years ago, she has held roles in digital and print, editing magazines and books, curating special interest publications, managing social media accounts, creating digital content and newsletters, and working with the Field Editors—Birds & Blooms network of more than 50 backyard birders. Passionate about animals and nature, Lori has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Environmental Communications from the University of Illinois. In 2023, she became certified as a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener, and she is a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and sits on the organization's Publications Advisory Committee. She frequently checks on her bird feeders while working from home and tests new varieties of perennials, herbs and vegetable plants in her ever-growing backyard gardens.