Alstroemeria 'Sussex Gold' (Golden Peruvian Lily) - A vigorous perennial with blue green foliage and showy golden yellow flowers in spring/summer. The flowers, rising above the foliage on 2-3 foot tall stalks are marked with maroon-brownish stripes inside and maroon backing to the sepals. Plants have a crown of slender rhizomes that attach to succulent storage roots below. Each year new unbranched shoots arise from the crown to produce narrow leaves along the stem and an umbel of flowers at the tip.
Plant in full sun to light shade and water regularly to occasionally in late spring and early summer. Tolerates fairly dry conditions in coastal gardens but vigor and flowering is best when plants are irrigated. Hardy to 15-20 degrees F but tolerates lower temperatures if mulched. When trimming or cutting Alstroemeria for flowers it is best to pull the stems straight up and out, so they break off below ground at the crown to stimulate the formation of new shoots but do so carefully so not to pull out pieces of the rhizome itself. We have noted that the flowers on Alstroemeria 'Sussex Gold' look quite a bit like 'The Third Harmonic' when first emerging, but 'Sussex Gold' has flowers that remain more yellow while 'The Third Harmonic' flowers darken to orange. 'Sussex Gold' is also taller and has narrower foliage. This plant might also be the same as the cultivar named 'Yellow King'.
The genus Alstroemeria (at times spelled Alstremeria) was named by Carl Linnaeus, often called the Father of Taxonomy, for his friend and student Klaus von Alstroemer (Clas Alströmer), a Swedish baron. Alstroemeria come from two areas within South America with summer growing species restricted to eastern Brazil and winter-growing plants from central Chile with common names such as Peruvian Lily, Parrot Lily, or Lily of the Incas. We grew this variety from 2003 until 2009.
The information about Alstroemeria 'Sussex Gold' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |