Alstroemeria – a genus of roughly 120 species native to the highlands of Chile, Brazil, and Peru – quietly reshaped how six continents think about flowers. The plant's journey from Andean slopes at 3,500 meters above sea level to kitchen tables in Kansas City mirrors something bigger: the way nature, trade routes, and human curiosity weave together. Understanding that story changes how you look at a simple alstroemeria bouquet delivery – and maybe at travel itself.