Golden Lily: your complete Alstroemeria aurea growing guide

Partager

0

Alstroemeria aurea is the toughest and most exuberant of the Peruvian lilies, throwing up thickets of upright leafy stems topped with clusters of tangerine-orange trumpets streaked with chocolate freckles. It is a superb border filler and one of the finest cut flowers you can grow at home, lasting a fortnight or more in a vase. Unlike the compact bedding hybrids sold in garden centres, this Chilean species spreads steadily by fleshy underground tubers, so give it room to romp.

Growing conditions

Give Alstroemeria aurea at least six hours of direct sun a day for the strongest stems and heaviest flowering. It copes well with light dappled shade beneath high-canopy trees, though stems become lax and bloom count falls in anything deeper. A sheltered spot with some protection from strong wind saves you staking.

Deep, fertile soil enriched with well-rotted organic matter suits it best, ideally a sandy or medium loam that never becomes waterlogged. It tolerates a broad pH range from mildly acidic to slightly alkaline, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, and grows happily over chalk provided the soil is not thin and parched. Heavy, sticky clay is the one real enemy — improve it with grit and compost, or plant on a raised ridge.

This species comes from the cool temperate south of Chile and Argentina, so it is far hardier than most alstroemerias and survives outdoors year-round across most of Britain, Ireland and northern Europe. In colder inland gardens a thick winter mulch is worthwhile; in mild maritime areas it may stay semi-evergreen.

How to plant Alstroemeria

Plant pot-grown plants in late spring, from May onwards, once the soil has warmed and all frost risk has passed. Autumn planting is possible in mild districts but young tubers are vulnerable to a cold, wet first winter.

• Space plants 45–60 cm apart — they knit together quickly and crowded clumps flower less freely.
• Set the crown 10–15 cm below the soil surface; deep planting protects the tubers from frost and drought and is the single best insurance against losses.
• Fork a bucketful of well-rotted compost or leaf mould into the planting hole, plus a handful of grit on heavier ground.
• Water in thoroughly and keep the soil evenly moist for the first eight to ten weeks whilst roots establish.
• Propagate by lifting and dividing established clumps in early spring; handle the brittle white tubers gently and replant immediately, as they resent drying out.

Care through the seasons

Spring: New shoots emerge from mid-April, later than you expect, so mark the position to avoid forking through the tubers. Apply a general balanced feed or a potassium-rich rose fertiliser as growth begins, then mulch with compost. Insert supports early — grow-through hoops or twiggy pea sticks — while stems are still short.

Summer: Water generously during dry spells, particularly in the first two years; established clumps are surprisingly drought-tolerant thanks to their fleshy tubers. Harvest flowering stems by grasping them low down and pulling with a sharp twist rather than cutting — this triggers a fresh flush of shoots from the base. Remove any seed pods promptly, as self-sown seedlings appear readily.

Autumn: Foliage yellows after the first frosts; cut or pull stems back to ground level and compost them. This is a good moment to reduce the size of an over-enthusiastic clump by slicing away outer sections with a spade. Finish with a 7–10 cm mulch of bark, leaf mould or straw over the crown.

Winter: The plant is completely dormant below ground and disappears entirely. In gardens colder than about −12 °C, or on wet soils, keep the winter mulch in place until mid-spring.

Best varieties to grow

Selections of the species and its close hybrids offer a wider colour range whilst keeping that valuable hardiness.

• Alstroemeria aurea ‘Orange King’ — the classic form, with vivid burnt-orange flowers on strong 90 cm stems, superb for cutting.
• Alstroemeria aurea ‘Lutea’ — a clear golden-yellow selection with maroon flecking, slightly shorter and very free-flowering.
• Alstroemeria aurea ‘Dover Orange’ — deeper, almost red-orange blooms and notably vigorous, hardy growth.
• Alstroemeria Ligtu Hybrids — a related hardy strain in pinks, salmons and creams; hold an RHS Award of Garden Merit and mix beautifully with the species.

Pests, diseases and common problems

• Slugs and snails: The soft emerging spring shoots are grazed to stumps overnight. Ring new growth with sharp grit or wool pellets and patrol on damp evenings; nematode biocontrol works well from April.
• Grey mould (botrytis): Fuzzy grey patches and collapsing stems follow humid, congested growth. Thin crowded clumps, pull out spent stems rather than leaving stubs, and improve air movement around the plant.
• Red spider mite and thrips: Mottled, bronzed leaves and distorted flowers, mainly on plants under glass or against hot walls. Mist regularly, keep plants well watered, and introduce Phytoseiulus predatory mites in warm conditions.