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Native
to South America, Alstroemeria is named
for the Swedish jurist Clas Alstroemer. This
automatically makes the flower appropriate
for weddings since marriage is an official act.
Also
known as a Peruvian Lily, there are more
than 50 varieties within the Alstroemeria
assortment in popular colors and shades.
Alstroemeria are available year-round in
hues of pink, salmon, red, lavender and yellow.
During the winter, spring and fall, they
may be purchased in white. The whitest
varieties currently available are "Bianca",
"Paloma", and "Casablanca". The orchid-like
"Casablanca" has large, beautiful white flowers
with less striping on the petals.
The
flowers typically are multicolored clusters
on a stalk. They are excellent and economical
for wedding table arrangements because one
stem contains many clusters, which makes the
table arrangement contains a lot of flowers.
The Alstroemeria's worldwide popularity is
attributed to its versatility and long life. It is
ideal for use in mixed bouquets, arrangements
corsages, and on its own or by the bunch in
a vase. With proper care, Alstroemeria will last
from 2-3 weeks. A word of warning: Alstroemeria
contains a chemical that may cause dermatitis
in susceptible people, and sap from the Alstroemeria
can be harmful if it enters the human bloodstream.
So handle these cut flowers with care! |
