Alstroemeria x 'Mauve Majesty'
Cornell University has just patented this new Inca lily hybrid which will last for about two weeks in a vase and bloom throughout the summer and autumn in northern states until the first hard freeze.
Mauve Majesty was developed by professor Mark Bridgen, director of the Dept of Horticulture's Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center. It's the first ornamental plant ever patented by Cornell. The flower is not fragrant, but it has an unusual lavender-lilac color with dark speckles and a yellow throat. (click on the image for a larger view). It's widely available through nurseries and mail-order catalogs.
According to Bridgen, 'Mauve Majesty' is different than other Inca lilies because "it was bred for the garden, not as a commercial greenhouse cut flower plant." He added that the plant still makes excellent cut flowers, "but this is a beautiful herbaceous perennial plant for the garden that is winter hardy." Bridgen also said that alstroemeria is the fifth most popular cut flower in the United States and is often found in arrangements in hotel lobbies and restaurants because the flowers don't wilt for up to two weeks.
'Mauve Majesty' is hardy to zone 6 and can be grown in coastal areas of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, northern New Jersey, and in much of the Midwest. It will also survive in many parts of zone 5, so it's sure to be a real winner.
Alstroemeria is actually a rhizome with storage roots, and it grows best in full sun except in the deep south, where it benefits from afternoon shade. In cold areas, it needs good drainage for the winter and lots of fertilizer in the summer months.
Prior to 'Mauve Majesty,' Bridgen patented 'Sweet Laura,' the only Inca lily that's fragrant, as well as 'Liberty', 'Freedom', 'Redcoat', and 'Patriot'. Yet to come is a soft pink hybrid that he says will work as a potted plant on the patio. He's also working on peach-colored cultivars, an orange one, too, and a few others that have spectacular fragrance. So stay tuned.
image: Cornell University
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