Alstroemeria Growing Guides
How to Grow Alstroemeria (Inca Lilies) in South Africa
Alstroemeria, also known as Inca lilies, are one of the hardest-working flowers you can grow.
Once established, these perennial plants can flower for months, producing beautiful long stems that make exceptional cut flowers. Even better, a healthy plant becomes bigger and stronger from year to year.
We have been growing, trialling and multiplying our tall-stem Alstroemeria varieties on our farm in South Africa for several years. These Alstroemeria Growing Guides are based on what we have learnt along the way.
If you are growing an Inca lily for the first time, start at number one and follow the plant through its growing cycle.
1. Getting to Know Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria are commonly called Inca lilies, but despite the name, they aren't true lilies.
They are perennial plants that grow from fleshy underground roots and rhizomes. Once established, the plant can return year after year, gradually developing into a much larger clump.
There are also important differences between compact Alstroemeria bred mainly for pots and gardens and the tall-stem varieties grown for cut flowers.
Our Alstroemeria Project
We have spent years growing, trialling, selecting and multiplying our Alstroemeria mother plants before making them available to South African gardeners.
[Read: The Alstroemeria Project]
[Coming Guide: Alstroemeria vs Inca Lilies – What Are They?]
2. Your New Alstroemeria Plant Has Arrived
Unlike a dormant dahlia tuber or gladiolus corm, your Alstroemeria arrives as a living plant.
After travelling in a box, it may look a little tired — and that is perfectly understandable.
Unpack your plant as soon as possible and give it time to recover from its journey before expecting it to start growing vigorously.
The most important thing at this stage is establishing a healthy root system.
[Coming Guide: What to Do When Your Alstroemeria Plant Arrives]
3. Where to Plant Alstroemeria
Choosing the right position matters because an Alstroemeria can remain in the same place for many years.
Good drainage is essential.
The plants need enough light to flower well, but conditions can vary enormously across South Africa. A position that works beautifully in a mild coastal garden isn't necessarily the same position I would choose in our hot Northern Cape summers.
Think about your own climate rather than following a one-size-fits-all planting rule.
Preparing the Soil for Alstroemeria
Give your plant a good home from the beginning.
Preparing the soil properly before planting allows those underground roots and rhizomes to establish and gives the plant the foundation it needs to develop into a large, productive clump.
[Coming Guide: Where and How to Plant Alstroemeria in South Africa]
4. Planting and Establishing Alstroemeria
The first season is about establishment.
Your new plant may look small when it arrives, but don't judge it by what you see above the soil.
A lot is happening underground.
As the root system establishes, new shoots will begin appearing and the plant will gradually develop into a stronger clump.
Give it time.
How to Plant Alstroemeria in South Africa
This guide will take you through planting, spacing, watering and caring for your young plant during those important first months.
[Coming Guide: How to Plant Alstroemeria in South Africa]
5. Caring for Growing Alstroemeria
Once established, Alstroemeria can be wonderfully productive plants.
Regular water and good nutrition during active growth will help support strong stems and continuous flower production.
The goal isn't simply to produce lots of leaves.
For our tall-stem varieties, we want a healthy plant capable of continually producing strong flowering stems suitable for cutting.
Watering Alstroemeria
Your watering routine will change with the season, your soil and your climate.
[Coming Guide: How to Water Alstroemeria]
Feeding Alstroemeria
Established plants are capable of producing an enormous amount of growth and flowers during a season.
Good nutrition helps them keep going.
[Coming Guide: How to Feed Alstroemeria for More Flowers]
6. Growing Alstroemeria for Cut Flowers
This is one of the reasons I love them.
Alstroemeria are exceptional cut flowers.
Our tall varieties produce long stems with clusters of flowers at the top, and once the plants are established they can become incredibly productive.
They also have excellent vase life, making them wonderful flowers for the home and for florists.
Tall-Stem Alstroemeria for Cutting
Not all Alstroemeria varieties have been bred for the same purpose.
If your goal is cut flowers, variety selection matters.
[Coming Guide: Best Alstroemeria Varieties for Cut Flowers]
How to Harvest Alstroemeria
And here Alstroemeria do something rather interesting.
You don't necessarily harvest established plants in quite the same way you would cut a dahlia stem.
[Coming Guide: How to Harvest Alstroemeria for Cut Flowers]
7. Alstroemeria Problems, Pests and Diseases
Healthy, established Alstroemeria are generally strong plants, but that doesn't mean nothing ever goes wrong.
Poor drainage, incorrect watering, extreme weather and pests can all affect plant health.
Learning what normal seasonal growth looks like makes it much easier to recognise when something isn't right.
[Coming Guide: Alstroemeria Problems, Pests and Diseases]
8. Alstroemeria Through the Seasons
Alstroemeria are perennials.
They don't complete their entire life cycle and disappear after one flowering season.
Their growth changes with the seasons, and understanding those changes helps you know when to feed, water, harvest, clean up or simply leave the plant alone.
Don't assume a plant is dead simply because its growth has slowed or the old stems are dying back.
There may be plenty happening underground.
Alstroemeria in Winter
How your plants behave during winter will depend partly on your climate and variety.
[Coming Guide: How to Care for Alstroemeria Through Winter in South Africa]
9. Dividing Established Alstroemeria
Give an Alstroemeria time and that small plant can eventually become a substantial clump.
That is when things become really interesting.
Established plants can be divided, allowing you to rejuvenate crowded clumps and produce additional plants.
But Alstroemeria have fleshy underground roots that should be handled carefully, so dividing them isn't something I would do unnecessarily.
When and How to Divide Alstroemeria
Learn when a plant is ready to divide and how we handle established clumps.
[Coming Guide: How to Divide Alstroemeria Plants]
10. And Then They Get Better
Alstroemeria reward patience.
The little plant you receive in your parcel isn't what you should imagine forever.
Give it time to establish.
Let its roots develop.
Allow the clump to grow.
And with each season, that plant can become bigger, stronger and more productive — sending up more of those beautiful flowering stems.
We have spent years growing and multiplying our own Alstroemeria mother plants for exactly this reason.
Good plants take time.
These Alstroemeria Growing Guides will continue to grow as we share what we have learnt from our own plants here in South Africa.
Ready to Grow Your Own Alstroemeria?
Explore our collection of tall-stem Alstroemeria (Inca lily) plants, selected for strong stems, beautiful flowers and their value as cut flowers.
[Shop Alstroemeria & Inca Lilies]
Happy growing!
She who loves dahlias — and Incas too,
Mareli
Love Dahlias