PlantFiles: Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria umbellata

A. umbellata grows in The Andes Mountains, at altitudes that range from 2500 to 3000 meters above sea level. They are hardy to an equivalent to a USA zone 6b – could be even hardier, but I have no information that supports this. Their habitat is a gritty and rocky very well drained slightly humid soil and they love full sun. A. umbellata is a very low plant (15 to 30cm) and makes a wonderful rock garden plant or can be used as ground cover. This species usually blooms from the second year on, improving the quality of the plant and the flowers in the forthcoming years. They benefit from fully decomposed manure fertilizing during autumn and you can lift the rhizomes/fleshy roots (carefully, they are very brittle) to split them and reproduce your plants every 3 years.

Propagation from seeds: during autumn, in a mix of equal parts of compost, vermiculite and sharp river sand. Cover this mixture with a fine layer of sand, distribute your seeds and barely cover them with some more sand. Place your sowing pan either in a cold frame or a cold greenhouse if you have heavy rains in your area, and take them out to be covered by the snow if that’s your case. The seedlings will sprout during spring and can be transplanted once they are 3cm tall (little over 1”) using the same soil mixture. This A. species can be planted as well in the garden as in containers.