Inca Lily is a striking rhizomatous flowering perennial native to the Andean foothills of central Chile, prized for its showy tubular blooms in vibrant pink to salmon hues streaked with bright orange. Growing 24 to 36 inches tall with narrow, lance-shaped leaves, it produces cut-worthy flowers from June through November, with peak bloom occurring in summer and early fall. Hardy in zones 8 to 11, it flowers within 63 to 84 days from seed and thrives in full sun to partial shade with moderate watering. In cooler climates, it's treated like a tender tuber such as dahlias, either dug and stored indoors over winter or grown in containers and brought inside.
Full Sun
Moderate
8-11
36in H x 24in W
—
High
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Pink-to-salmon flowers with striking orange streaks rise on sturdy stems above elegant foliage, offering an exotic presence in the garden or in a vase. This Chilean native is drought tolerant once established, attracts pollinators reliably, and resists deer browsing, making it both ornamental and wildlife-friendly. It flowers prolifically over a long season and transitions seamlessly between annual and tender perennial treatment depending on your climate zone.
Inca Lily is grown primarily for its ornamental cut flowers, which hold their showy pink-to-salmon blooms with orange streaks in arrangements for extended periods. Florists and home gardeners value it as a long-season flowering plant that produces abundant stems suitable for fresh bouquets and dried arrangements. Beyond the vase, it serves as a striking border plant, container specimen, and pollinator attractor in ornamental gardens.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Keep soil temperature at 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during germination, which typically occurs within 5 to 10 days. Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant after the last spring frost into well-draining, sandy, gritty soil. Space plants 1 inch apart and water thoroughly after transplanting.
Direct sow after the last spring frost into prepared, well-draining soil. Sprouts will emerge within 5 to 10 days under warm conditions.
Cut flowers in early morning when blooms have fully opened and petals are turgid. Harvest by cutting stems at the base with a sharp, clean blade. Flowers will continue opening in the vase and hold for 1 to 2 weeks with regular water changes. For the longest vase life, remove lower foliage and place stems in cool water immediately after cutting.
Pinch or deadhead spent flower stems to encourage continued blooming throughout the season. Remove any leggy or damaged stems, particularly those that have stretched in partial shade. After the first frost in zones below 8, cut stems back to ground level before digging and storing rhizomes for winter.
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“Alstroemeria ligtu subsp. incarnata originates from the foothills of the Andes in central Chile, where it evolved in well-drained, rocky terrain. The genus Alstroemeria itself was named by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in honor of Clas Alströmer, an 18th-century Swedish nobleman and naturalist. This subspecies, incarnata, has been cultivated for ornamental purposes for centuries, particularly valued in European and North American flower gardens. The plant's journey from South American highland to global cultivation reflects both its horticultural appeal and its adaptation to container and garden growing in temperate zones.”