Alstroemeria named Virginia
by J McCombie
Title
Alstroemeria named Virginia
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph - Untouched
Description
This piece has been featured in the FAA Group, "Flora".
Alstroemeria ‘Virginia’ has white flowers with a yellow splash and burgundy streaks, with contrasting brown anthers. It’s ideal for growing in the ornamental border or as part of a patio container display, and makes an excellent cut flower. Grow Alstroemeria ‘Virginia’ in a sheltered spot in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Stake them so they don’t collapse in the wind or rain, and keep picking the flowers for cutting, or deadheading – pull from the root and they will continue to flower for months. Not fully hardy, mulch for the first two winters to protect the rootball.
Alstroemeria, commonly called the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae. They are all native to South America although some have become naturalized in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Almost all of the species are restricted to one of two distinct centers of diversity, one in central Chile, the other in eastern Brazil. Species of Alstroemeria from Chile are winter-growing plants while those of Brazil are summer-growing. All are long-lived perennials except A. graminea, a diminutive annual from the Atacama Desert of Chile.
Plants of this genus grow from a cluster of tubers. They send up fertile and sterile stems, the fertile stems of some species reaching 1.5 meters in height. The leaves are alternately arranged and resupinate, twisted on the petioles so that the undersides face up. The leaves are variable in shape and the blades have smooth edges. The flowers are solitary or borne in umbels. The flower has six tepals each up to 5 centimeters long. They come in many shades of red, orange, purple, green, and white, flecked and striped and streaked with darker colors. There are six curving stamens. The stigma has three lobes. The fruit is a capsule with three valves. Alstroemeria are classified as an inferior monocot, meaning the petals are located above the ovary and the leaves are parallel
Many hybrids and at least 190 cultivars have been developed, featuring many different markings and colors, including white, yellow, orange, apricot, pink, red, purple, and lavender. The most popular and showy hybrids commonly grown today result from crosses between species from Chile (winter-growing) with species from Brazil (summer-growing). This strategy has overcome the florists' problem of seasonal dormancy and resulted in plants that are evergreen, or nearly so, and flower for most of the year. This breeding work derives mainly from trials that began in the United States in the 1980s, the main breeding is done nowadays by companies in the Netherlands. The flower, which resembles a miniature lily, is very popular for bouquets and flower arrangements in the commercial cut flower trade.
Some Species of Alstroemeria: Alstroemeria aurea - Lily of the Incas; Alstroemeria aurantiaca - Peruvian Lily/Alstroemeria Princess Lily; Alstroemeria caryophyllacea - Brazilian Lily; Alstroemeria haemantha - Purplespot Parrot Lily; Alstroemeria ligtu - Lily-of-the-Nile; Alstroemeria psittacina - Lily of the Incas, White-edged Peruvian Lily/White Alstroemeria; Alstroemeria pulchella - Parrot Lily, Parrot Flower, Red Parrot Beak, New Zealand Christmas Bell.
Alstroemeria flower is symbolic of wealth, prosperity and fortune. It is also the flower of friendship. Symbolizing friendship and devotion, the alstroemeria’s leaves grow upside down, with the leaf twisting as it grows out from the stem, so that the bottom is facing upwards – much like the twists, turns and growth of our friendships.
Uploaded
January 16th, 2019
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