Alstroemeria hybrida

‘Butterfly Hybrids’

BUTTERFLY ALSTROEMERIAS

Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Butterfly Hybrids’
BUTTERFLY ALSTROEMERIAS

Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Butterfly Hybrids’ have beautiful, large flower heads in elite colours.

Large flower heads of purples, mauves, violets & pinks

Highly desirable shades of purples, mauves, violets and pinks – exceptional for both garden and floristry.
With each bloom intriguingly decorated with tiger stripes.

Long blooming on strong upright stems

These glowing butterflies of blooms are held on strong, upright flower stems from late spring, through summer & autumn.

Superb garden display & commercial quality cut flowers

So Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Butterfly Hybrids’ make superb and long lasting garden displays.
As well as wonderful, commercial quality cut flowers.
Because this hardy, selectively bred variety, blooms almost ceaselessly through the warm months. And it is sturdily weather proof.

Growers tip for cut flowers

But when you are harvesting the flower stems, grasp firmly and twist – so they come away from the base cleanly, rather than cutting the stems.
And this keeps the Alstroemeria’s corm in great order.
So the more you harvest, the more flowers each corm will produce.

Hardy, easy, low maintenance

Plant Alstroemeria in Full Sun to Part Shade.
Where they make a hardy, easy, low maintenance perennial clump which brings you colour, flowers and pleasure for many years.
And each year your clump will increase in girth, and become even more productive.

Water-wise

Plus they are water-wise plants, requiring only average garden watering to prosper.

Rabbit & Deer resistant 

They are rarely, if ever, troubled by any pests and diseases.
Including rabbits and deer, who treat them with ignore.

But pollinator friendly

However honey-eating native birds adore foraging amongst the big heads of blooms (doing passable impersonations of Hummingbirds).
Other beneficial pollinating insects also enjoy them as much as we do.

Hardy perennial

Hardy perennial clump 60cm. high in flower x 45cm. wide robust, hardy clump.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Sow Alstroemeria seed at any time indoors in punnets or pots.

First soak seeds overnight in hot (not boiling) water.
Then in the morning any seeds that have sunk are ready to sow.
But floating seeds have not taken moisture in and need to soak again in fresh hot water.
And keep repeating with fresh hot water until the hard shells have swollen and the seeds sink in the water.
The seeds have now taken in moisture are ready to sow.

Now sow using good quality seed raising mix.
And press each large seed gently into the surface of the mix.
But cover the seeds only lightly with sieved mix.

Thoroughly moisten the punnet / pots by standing in a shallow water bath and allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Keep the sown punnet or pots in a very warm well-lit spot for 3 weeks (not in any direct sunlight).
Temperatures of 25-30°C are optimum for this conditioning stage.

Continue to keep consistently moist by misting from a spray water-bottle.
Covering with a clear plastic lid or bag will also help to maintain consistent moisture.

Then after 3 weeks – cling-wrap the moist punnet, and place in the fridge (not freezer) for a further 3 weeks.
Finally remove the punnet from the fridge, unwrap, and return it to a warm, well-lit spot.
Temperatures of 20-25°C are optimum at this stage, for the seeds to germinate.

Some seeds will be quick to appear, while others may take longer to germinate.
This is a natural process, as the plant cunningly sets up it’s seeds to germinate at staggered intervals. Thus ensuring better survival chances in a variable climate.
So do not discard the punnet too quickly as more seeds will continue to germinate – patience is rewarded.

Seed Count: 10 large seeds per pack.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

GROWING: Alstroemeria hybrida ‘Butterfly Hybrids’

– Height with flowers: 60cm. approx.
–Width: 45cm. approx. perennial clump.
– Position: Full Sun to 1/2 Shade
– Soil: Alstroemeria woll happily tolerate sandy soils to heavy clay, as long as the soil is well drained.
However the fleshy roots will rot in waterlogged soil. So raise the planting mound in heavier soils to give better drainage.
– Frost: Hardy down to approximately -6C, but with overhead shelter from trees can do even better. In hard frost areas mulch the corms in winter.
– Growth: Hardy herbaceous perennial.
– Beware: Wear gloves when cutting, as the tulipalin compound in the sap may cause skin irritation in susceptible individuals.

Other benefits

– Beneficial to wildlife: The long blooming period gives a steady supply of food to nectar and pollen gathering bees, birds and butterflies. The Alstroemeria flowers make it easy for our insect friends to zoom in accurately, using those handy landing strip markings on the petals.

Easy work & resilient

– Care: Very easy low maintenance, only requiring some fertilizer during the growing season, and a winter trim to the ground to tidy. In very hot summer areas mulch in summer. In hard frost areas mulch in winter.
– Deer & Rabbit resistant: The whole plant contains a toxin called called tulipalin which burns the mouth. So rabbits and deer are wise enough to leave them alone.

– Origin: Alstroemeria are native to South America, particularly in Chile and Peru. Hence their common names of ‘Peruvian Lily’, ‘Lily of the Incas’ or ‘Parrot Lily’.
The name Alstroemeria commemorates a gardening hero – Claus von Alstomer.
Claus was wise enough in 1753 to send some Alstroemeria seed home to Sweden from Spain.
While visiting Spain he spotted the spectacular flowers of plants recently introduced from the Spanish conquests in South America.

Myths & legends

– Myths & legends: Tradition says that each of the six petals in an Alstroemeria flower represents a desirable quality: a petal each for understanding, humour, patience, empathy, commitment and respect.

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