Alstroemeria pulchella (Peruvian lily, "Yurizuisen")

Japanese name: ユリズイセン （百合水仙）
Scientific name: Alstroemeria pulchella

[Overview]
A perennial 1 m tall with fleshy tubers.
Leaves are simple and alternate, oblong to spatulate.
An umbel-like inflorescence emerges at the stem tip, and the inflorescence has bracts.
The flowers are half open and tubular, bilaterally symmetrical, with 6 tepals, 3 inner and 3 outer.
The flowers are red, the tips of the tepals are yellowish green, and there are black streaks on the inside.
There are 6 stamens.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division (separating bulbs) or from seed.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained place.
In high heat and humidity, the roots rot easily.
For potted plants, move them to a sunny place in spring and autumn, to partial shade to shade in summer, and to a place where they will not freeze in winter.
During the rainy season, keep them out of the rain in a well-ventilated place such as under the eaves or on a veranda.
For plants in the ground, watering is hardly necessary.
For potted plants, from spring through the flowering period, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
After flowering, keep it on the dry side, and if it goes dormant, do not water.
For plants in the ground, fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
For potted plants, from spring through the flowering period, give fertilizer placed on the soil once a month or liquid fertilizer once a week.
Pests and diseases include gray mold and aphids.

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