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Alstroemeria 'Casablanca' (White Peruvian Lily) – Attractive and vigorous evergreen perennial that makes thick clumps of tuberous rhizomes with sturdy stems rising to 36 to 42 inches tall bearing large trumpet shaped flowers that are white tinted lightly with yellow with maroon dashes on the face and pink in the throat. The backside of the flowers is also flushed with pink with fine light green lines along tepal margins. As flowers age they often darken seasonally to take on darker pink tones. Plants have a crown of slender rhizomes that attach to the succulent tuberous storage roots below and from the eye on these rhizomes new unbranched shoots arise to produce narrow leaves along the stem and an umbel of flowers at the tip. This is the whitest of the tall orchid type cut flower Peruvian Lilies available in the trade and its flowering continues over a long period - from April well into fall in our Santa Barbara garden.
Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-draining soil and water regularly to occasionally in late spring and early summer. Tolerates fairly dry conditions in coastal gardens but vigor and flowering are best when plants are irrigated regularly. Considered hardy to 0-10° F, but tolerating lower temperatures if mulched, so rated by some as useful in USDA Zones 6b and above. When trimming back or cutting Alstroemeria for flowers it is best to pull the stems out, so they break off below ground at the crown to stimulate the formation of new shoots. Do so carefully so not to pull out pieces of the rhizome itself.
The genus Alstroemeria 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 species 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. The 'Casablanca' cultivar, introduced by A.M. Könst in 1990, was long grown only as a cut flower variety before becoming available in the nursery trade and it has since become a favorite for its reliably vigorous growth and its tall sturdy stems bearing long blooming nearly pure white flowers that are attractive in the garden and in the vase.
The information about Alstroemeria 'Casablanca' 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. |
