Alstroemeria violacea grows on isolated coastal mountain ranges in a limited area of northern Chile between the cities of Taltal and Antofagasta. Restricted as almost all plants in this part of the region are to fog zones, A. violacea appears to reach its greatest abundance in Paposo National Reserve, where entire hillsides are tinted a soft lavender purple with its flowers amidst the cacti and stunted shrubbery on rocky talus slopes. The foliage tends to sprawl along the hillside, reaching not more than about 2 feet / 60 cm tall, but often in patches over 6 feet / 2 meters wide. While not strictly a bulbous plant (they produce fleshy tubers like Dahlias or potatoes) they are easily categorized there because of the obvious similarities in lifestyle and adaptivity towards aridity. Personally, I found it to be among the most appealing of the 15 or more Alstroemeria species we saw, in a genus known for its beauty.
Argylia radiata lifts its golden-orange flowers in front of a nice patch of Alstroemeria violacea at Paposo National Reserve in early October 2017, after a wet winter brought forth both species from the normally barren slopes. Both species survive as underground rhizomes in the lengthy dry periods experienced here, and there is no evidence of them in dry years, aside perhaps from some dried remains. The foliage of the alstroemeria is still green in this photo, although many nearby plants were showing signs of yellowing and heading into dormancy as dryness takes hold again in the Atacama Desert.
Copiapoa cinerea offers a beautiful backdrop to the alstroemeria. Garden designers take note of this color combination. 
Quite a few of the flowers in the population at Paposo NR show this strong striping. It is not clear whether this is merely genetic variance, or the result of a viral infection, which can cause this appearance in some monocot plant species.
More often occurring in solid colors, Alstroemeria violacea can range in tint from pale lavender to darker purplish-pink.
Strong plate tectonics in Chile leads to rugged coastal mountains, while lack of rainfall leads to minimal erosion and low plant cover. These two factors tend to create steep slopes covered in jagged, angular rocks. Plants that live here must adapt to these lithic soils or die. And yet somehow, delicate beauty manages to arise here from numerous species in this harsh arid environment.
Upper reaches of the mountains near Paposo National Reserve were clad in the purple of A. violacea, especially at elevations above 1500 feet / 500 meters where fog is persistent almost all day, and almost every day. This photo was taken during a brief clearing of the fog for a few hours in mid to late afternoon, which happens many days as well, although it tends to return quickly around sunset.
Copiapoa haseltoniana is the most abundant clumping cactus at Paposo, while Eulychnia iquiquensis is the predominant columnar cactus. None of these plants are able to live much farther inland than here – within about 12 – 15 miles from the protective fog of the ocean, the hillsides were utterly devoid of vegetation. Remarkable!
It’s not uncommon to witness spikes of alstroemeria rising up through the closely-packed stems of Copiapoas, Eulychnias, Trichocereus, and other clumping cactus species. In fact, in areas where grazing animals are prevalent (wild guanacos or domestic livestock) the alstroemerias tend to survive only inside the protection of the spiny thickets. Here at Paposo however there are no grazing ungulates and the plants are free to roam out into less cramped conditions.
Another plant associated with the alstroemerias is Euphorbia lactiflua, which has pale yellow flowers on thickened stems that store water. In dry times, the euphorbias are totally leafless, although they may still flower. In rainy years they have a full crown of dark green leaves.
White Cleome chilensis flowers sprout amidst patches of alstroemerias at Paposo. This was the only place we saw the cleome, although it does grow elsewhere according to online range maps.
