Inca Joli Alstroemeria Warms the Garden with Red Flowers

Virtues: Inca Joli alstroemeria is the perfect warm-color flowering perennial for the garden or containers. It boasts a bushy, full, upright habit and nonstop scarlet-and-orange flowers. Its compact (20-inch) size makes it easy to mix into the flower border or use in mixed container plantings.

Common name: Inca Joli alstroemeria, Inca Joli Peruvian lily, Inca Joli princess lily

Botanical name:Alstroemeria ‘Koncajoli’

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Season: Late spring to autumn, for flowers

Flowers: The flowers of Inca Joli alstroemeria have a funnel shape. They are bright orange-red in color, with black-speckled gold and lighter orange bands within their throats.

Foliage: Medium green, sword-shape leaves line alstroemeria’s upright stems, contributing to its dense, shrubby, bold-textured appearance.

Habit: This Peruvian lily grows 16 to 20 inches tall and 20 to 24 inches wide, with a bushy, upright shape. It may remain slightly smaller if it is used as a container plant. Alstroemeria is an herbaceous perennial.

Origins:Alstroemeria species are native to South America, particularly Chile and Brazil. Inca Joli is a hybrid bred and introduced as part of the Inca Series of Peruvian lilies; the plants in this series were created for garden use rather than for the cut-flower industry.

How to grow Inca Joli alstroemeria: Site in full sun or part shade and average to rich soil. Alstroemeria enjoys evenly moist soil, but it will take short dry spells. Similar to hardy hibiscus, Peruvian lilies often emerge from dormancy later than other perennials in the garden, but then it grows quickly to catch up. Be patient and mindful of where it is planted as you await its return in spring. USDA Zones 6–9.

Image courtesy of Walters Gardens