I’ve just been given two pots of Alstroemeria psittacina ‘Variegata,’ a lovely red variety. Is this particular variety invasive here in the Pacific Northwest? I’ve grown the orange ones and then they took over–very hard to eradicate from beds. Does anyone know if the red ones are as invasive?
The Pacific Bulb Society lists this species under its previous name, Alstroemeria pulchella, and says it is weedy in some gardens and barely survives in others. Alstroemeria psittacina may be officially listed as invasive in some areas (in Australia, for example), but even if not officially designated as such, it may grow aggressively. This listing on the Floridata website, describes it as follows:
“This is a seductive plant. It is colorful, unusual, and exotic looking and effortless to grow once you get it going. Every gardener I know who has seen it has wanted it, begged a start, then nurtured it and delighted in it – for a few years. Then every one of them has come to curse the way it spreads and taken to ripping it out with a vengeance. Perhaps its best use is as breeding stock for developing more spectacular and less troublesome varieties of Alstroemeria.”
What you could do is grow your plants in a container, to avoid potential problems with weediness. I think aggressive spreading should be assumed with this genus unless otherwise specified.