Alstroemeria Duc d'Anjou François

The Astroemeria 'Duc d'Anjou François', like the other Inca lilies from the Duke of Anjou series, is a medium-sized, hardy and floriferous variety, not very sensitive to bad weather, particularly suitable for ornamental beds. This Duke François selection is adorned with pastel flowers, very pale pink to almost white, delicately streaked with brown. A charming and delicate flowering that renews itself from late spring to late season. This variety can withstand the winter in open ground in most of our regions, under a mulch that will protect the stumps from cold and excessive humidity. Its flowers are also very long-lasting in a vase.

The Alstroemeria 'Duc d'Anjou François' is a recent horticultural variety, selected near Angers. All modern Inca lilies are the result of hybridization of several tuberous species originating from South America, particularly from the Chilean Andes. These high-altitude plants belonging to the amaryllis family are more or less hardy, appreciate fresh, well-drained soils in lightly wooded and cool areas. Slow to establish, they can disappear or... become invasive! Quirky and fantastic plants, very sensitive to growing conditions, they are "indestructible" when you find the right spot for them.

Duke of Anjou^® 'François', like all the plants in the series, can withstand short freezes of around -15°C in a well-drained soil and under mulch. The plant quickly forms dense clumps of leafy stems 50cm (20in) tall when in flower, spreading to 40cm. Flowering occurs from June to October. The flowers are gathered in terminal umbels. They are composed of 3 narrow central petals, almost white and streaked with brown, surrounded by 3 wider petals, with a pearly pink colour, slightly washed with green. The foliage is arranged on the upper part of the stems. The leaves of this variety are dark green with a slight bluish tint. The plant disappears in winter, only the trailing stump with fleshy roots remains underground. This stump is sensitive to the shock of transplantation, especially in older plants.

The Alstroemeria Duc d'Anjou François' is suitable for planting in beds, where the plant forms a magnificent and very flowerful bouquet for months. Place it in small groups among grasses, daylilies, gauras or heleniums for example. It can also be combined with other varieties of Inca lilies from the Duke of Anjou series, and planted with blue lobelias or Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, with intensely blue flowers and red foliage in October. Its exotic flowers last several days in a vase, up to 3 weeks if you change the water every week, regularly remove any leaves that have fallen into the water, and re-cut the base of the stems.