Description

Agapanthus – African lily-of-the-Nile – African blue lily

A genus of about 10 species of vigorous growing perennials, some are evergreen or deciduous and are frost hardy to marginally frost hardy from South Africa.  Grown for their showy arching strap like, often dark green leaves and their abundance of summer blooming flowers.  The blue or white many tiny flowers appear off a 3’ foot tall or more single stem that branches towards the top that arise to one point called ‘umbels’.  The umbels may be rounded, intermediate, or pendent and up to 8” wide and individually flowers can be 2” long. They spread by creeping roots above or below ground.

Great plant for a background or edging, or even in a container or as a cut flower. They’ll thrive in conditions of neglect such as dry slopes and near coast in full sun or some shade in any soil as long as it gets water in spring and summer.  Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly from spring until flowering.  Remove spent stems and leaves at the end of winter.  They can be divided.

Prone to slug and snails, Bacterial soft rot, Phytophthora root rot, Phythium root rot and bulb rots occur and leaf spots.

Agapanthus africanus – African Lily – This native to South Africa forms a clump perennial reaching 3’ feet high and 18” wide.  The strap like leaves are 12” or more long. In late summer 20-50 individual 1-2” long deep blue trumpet shape flowers form a rounded umbels.  It’s moderately frost tolerant.

Zones 8-10