Alstroemeria Majestic Montsoreau

Alstroemeria Majestic 'Montsoreau' is a beautiful variety with pink-violet flowers speckled with yellow and streaked with brown, belonging to the excellent series of Majestic Inca lilies. They are vigorous and hardy, quickly forming beautiful clumps that bloom from late spring to late season. Stunning in flower beds where they can be easily spotted from afar, these alstroemerias also provide excellent cut flowers that last a long time in a vase. They are perennial plants that reappear year after year if cared for with rich and well-draining soil and regular watering during dry periods. You can plant them in full sun or partial shade, in a flower bed sheltered from the wind that could bend the stems.

Alstroemerias, belonging to the Alstroemeriaceae family, are perennial plants with tuberous roots native to South America. The hardiest ones, like A. aurantiaca, are native to the Chilean Andes and Patagonia. Sometimes slow to establish, Inca lilies can disappear or... become invasive! Quirky but fantastic plants, very sensitive to growing conditions, they are 'indestructible' once you find the right spot for them. Horticulturists have been working for a few years to develop more reliable and resistant varieties for our wet and cold winters. The Majestics series was developed near Angers. It brings together tall hybrids that can withstand short freezes of around -15°C (5°F) if the base is protected from moisture.

Alstroemeria 'Majestics Montsoreau' quickly forms dense clumps, starting in spring, with many leafy stems reaching approximately 85 cm (34in) in height when in bloom, with a similar spread. Flowering takes place from June to October, continuously if the soil remains moist. Each flower stem bears several 5-6 cm (2in) flowers, arranged in terminal umbels. They consist of 3 small central petals speckled with deep yellow and streaked with brown, surrounded by 3 slightly larger petals in pink-violet color with light pink highlights. The foliage is abundant and arranged along the stems. The leaves are dark greenish-blue in colour. The foliage and stems disappear in winter, leaving only the slightly trailing base with fleshy roots underground. The roots are sensitive to the shock of transplantation, especially in older plants.

Alstroemeria 'Montsoreau' is a beautiful border plant with remarkably coloured flowers that last a long time in a vase, up to 2 weeks if you take care to change the water daily and trim the stems occasionally. When well established, this exuberant plant offers a magnificent spectacle. In the garden, Majestic Alstroemeria pairs well, for example, with Agapanthus of modest stature (Golden Drop, Silver Moon). It can also be associated with grasses; Stipa, small Miscanthus, or Muhlenbergia capillaris will accompany its flowering with their foliage and delicate blooms. In a large flower pot, combine this colourful variety with blue lobelias or Diamond Frost Euphorbia, for example.