Alstroemeria Pitchounes Stella

Alstroemeria Pitchounes Stella is part of a new series of Inca lilies selected for their particularly compact habit and profusion of flowers. This variety is adorned with modest-sized, bicoloured flowers in coral pink with beautiful pale yellow spots streaked with brown. They are produced continuously on a small, round and bushy plant that maintains a neat appearance throughout the season. Although not very hardy, this perennial plant is easy to grow as an annual and requires very little maintenance. It is simply perfect for borders, containers and flower pots. You can plant it in partial shade or full sun, in light, rich and moist soil.

Alstroemeria Pitchounes Stella is a recent horticultural variety. All modern Inca lilies are hybrids of several tuberous species native to South America, particularly the Chilean Andes. These high-altitude plants belonging to the Alstroemeriaceae family are more or less hardy, appreciate moist, 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" once you have found the right spot for them.

'Stella', like all the plants in the Pitchounes series, is easy to grow in good, moist soil. The plant quickly forms dense and rounded clumps with leafy stems that do not exceed 25-30 cm (10-12in) in height when flowering, with a spread of 30 cm. The flowering is continuous from May-June to October. The light and open flowers are gathered in terminal umbels. They consist of 3 central petals with a beautiful white-yellow streaked macule on a coral pink background, surrounded by 3 broader petals of the same coral pink. The foliage is arranged on the upper part of the stems. The leaves of this variety are medium green-blue in colour. The plant disappears in winter, with only the trailing stump and fleshy roots remaining underground, which can withstand frost down to -5°C. The stump is sensitive to the shock of transplantation, especially in older plants.

The Alstroemeria Pitchounes 'Stella' is an excellent variety for decorating flower pots and containers for weeks. On the patio or balcony, it forms an intensely flowered display that rivals the bright geraniums of balconies. As a border plant, it pairs well with other Pitchounes varieties, or with grasses such as Stipa, small Miscanthus or Muhlenbergia capillaris, which will accompany its autumn colours with their foliage and magnificent late-season blooms. You can also plant blue lobelias or Ceratostigma plumbaginoides at its base, with intense blue flowers and red foliage in October. It's a marvel!