Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria is commonly used or given as a token of friendship. It’s a lovely flower with bright colours and fantastic symbolism. You can learn more about this beautiful bloom below.

About Alstroemeria

The flower Alstroemeria looks like a miniature lily with vibrantly coloured petals. Its blooms are usually yellow, white, red, orange, pink, apricot, lavender, purple, and others decorated with spots. Alstroemeria blooms all year round, with some hybrids blooming in the winter and others in the summer.

Scientific Name

Alstroemeria is the scientific name of the flower. People commonly know it as the Lily of the Incas or the Peruvian Lily. Although the flower looks like a lily, it’s not part of the lily family but in the Alstroemeriaceae family instead. There are more than 190 different hybrids of Alstroemeria. Almost all of them belong to one of two unique types that usually grow in Chile (winter-growing) and Brazil (summer-growing).

Origin and History

Alstroemeria’s name came from a Swedish botanist called Baron Clas von Alstromer, for whom it was named. Baron Alstromer came to know about the flower in the 18th century during a trip to South America. He then harvested some of its seeds, bringing them home to Sweden.

The flowers grew in his greenhouses, quickly becoming a favourite by the floral-enthusiasts of Europe thanks to being such a unique bloom. Alstroemeria is a flower they’ve never seen before, which contributed to its popularity that continued to this day and has swept the entire globe.

Symbolism and Meaning

In the Language of Flowers, Alstroemeria symbolises friendship and devotion. These make the flower the ideal gift for celebrating your friendship or saying thank you to a friend. You can send some of its blooms for your friend’s birthday or simply as a gift to say you’re thinking of them.

Arrangement

Alstroemeria is often used in traditional arrangements. Its blooms serve as an ideal colour highlight for vase arrangements, thanks to its colours ranging from white to red. Besides traditional designs, Alstroemeria is also often made as bouquets for birthdays, weddings, etc.