Agapanthusspp.
Every kid in my flyspeck elementary school think I was a strange fille because I kept a jar of backbone on my desk .
But it was n’t just any sand . It was sand my papa had bring back from a trip to Honduras for me , to replete my obsession with cobalt blue - water and white - sanded beach .
I want nothing more than to take a dip in the clear , tender waters of the Caribbean .
When I was thirteen years sometime , my wish came unfeigned .
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I have to travel to Jamaica to see some of the position where my daddy and grandparent had lived after leaving Cuba , their home country .
And I was also introduced to a thrilling array of plants and fruits I ’d never see before : slimy - unfermented guineps , purple - livid virtuoso apples , statuesque birds of nirvana , and violet lump of agapanthus .
The plantation and gardens of the island were unforgettable . Sadly for me , most of the gorgeous vegetation that flourishes in warm post like Jamaica fails to grow here in Alaska .
But many of these flora thrive in position where my kinsperson lives , like southern California and Arizona .
And if you hold out inUSDA Hardiness Zones6 - 11 , this guide can help you try your mitt at growing graceful , cheery lily of the Nile flowers .
Here ’s what I ’ll wrap up :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Agapanthus?
The nameAgapanthuscomes from the combination of the Greek wordsagape(love ) andanthos(flower ) .
So they ’re pretty much a love flower . Flower of love life . Lovely flower .
You get the idea .
With their lance - like leave and improbable , three - foot stems , spring- and summer - flower agapanthus reminds me ofallium peak – which makes signified , since they ’re in the same botanic family .
They also remind me somewhat of lilies , with their just stalks and round umbels of horn - mould blooms .
And I ’m not alone .
Though they ’re not in the same family as lilies , agapanthus are often called “ lily of the Nile ” or “ African lily . ” In South Africa , they ’re also called blue lily , isicakathiby the Xhosa people , andubaniby the Zulu .
The first reason for these name is that the flower is native to the southern African countries of Swaziland , Mozambique , South Africa , and Lesotho ; the 2d is that in the 1900s , botanists originally classified the appealing flower as a member of the Liliaceae family .
But it ’s now recognized as belong to theAmaryllidaceae family , which has three discrete subfamily :
The most prominent mintage within the lonelyAgapanthusgenus areA. africanus , A. praecox , A. orientalis , andA. inapertus . Dozens of cultivate and by nature happen hybrids are derived from these species . Most cultivars feature blooms in shades of puritanical , violet , and white .
Depending on the coinage , foliage can be deciduous or evergreen .
And while the efflorescence plant isnative to southern African state , it has naturalized all over the world , including in the United States , Jamaica , Australia , New Zealand , Mexico , and the UK .
In fact , this plant naturalizes and spreads so well and is so resistant to pests , disease , and death in general that some gardener consider it a weed .
But others value its tenacity : in red-hot desert regions of the world , it ’s often the only greenish for miles . It ’s also somewhat fire - tolerant . While it does burn eventually , the thick-skulled , sap - fill leaves take a long time to do so .
A molding of agapanthus , therefore , has been recognize to help slow up a fire .
Plus , it ’s hard to deny their lulu .
A pathway border by the vibrant , globe - shaped blooms is quite providential indeed .
Cultivation and History
Not much is have it away about the history of this plant , but at some power point in the middle of the 17th one C traders brought evergreen motley from the southernAfrican coast to Europe – and later to the US . In the 19th C it was enclose to Australia and New Zealand .
The deciduous type of agapanthus was n’t learn by colonists ( though it was well - known to local people ) until the former eighteenth century . Unlike the coastal evergreen variety , deciduous species grow wild in the mountainous regions of southerly Africa .
As a resultant , deciduous cultivars thrive in area with coolheaded wintertime temperature . Think USDA Hardiness Zone 6 .
But evergreen plant cultivars have in any type of cold and are well grown in Zones 8 through 11 , unless you ’d like to keep them as houseplant for part of the year .
While evergreen varieties ca n’t stay outside during the wintertime , they make excellent indoor potted plant life during the cold season .
People in some finish use the rhizomatous root system for medicinal and spiritual purposes . Xhosa woman of South Africa make a necklace out of the roots to aid keep pregnant women and their unborn baby good from injury .
Zulu women put the plant ’s anti - inflammatory properties to good use by making traditional medicinal drug to alleviate chest painfulness , essence disease , cough , and edema .
A Note of Caution:
These culture have strong tie-up to the plant and know how to use it medicinally . It ’s important to remark that the rhizome , leave , and sap are toxic to humans and fauna .
Propagation
The two ways to disperse agapanthus are from seed and by origin division . It takes some patience to originate them from seed , as they wo n’t flower for two to three years .
Bear in psyche that seeds save from an survive plant wo n’t necessarily produce true to the parent works .
But it can be a fun task to examine , since they ’re easy to care for .
Planting root divisions is the quickest style to get gorgeous blooms in your railway yard .
From Seed
The come take a while to get going , so it ’s best to start them indoors where they wo n’t be annoy by bugs , critters , and the weather .
The beauty of this method is that no matter which growing zone you subsist in , you may start agapanthus seed indoors at any meter .
All you need is a seed tray with separate cells , potting mix , a spraying bottle , and some sand or perlite .
meet each seed cell with potting mix , spray with piddle , and place one or two of the flat seeds on the stain . They do n’t need to be buried or poked down into the mix .
extend with a fine layer of soil and a thin layer of sand or perlite for a total concealment of about 1/8 of an column inch . Set the tray in a tender positioning out of direct sunshine , or in agreenhouse , and voila !
All you have to do from now until germination is keep the seed warm and moist ( but not slopped ) .
Now , be warned that sprouting can take just a few weeks in strong conditions and up to three months in cold-blooded field . So do n’t let any amount of chill sneak into the country where you ’ve place your seed tray !
Heat Mat for Seed Germination
An well-situated way of life to encourage your seeds to germinate more quickly is to place a heat mat underneath the source tray , likethis one from the Home Depot .
The idealistic temperature for sprouting is 70 - 80 ° F .
Once theydogerminate , keep the grunge evenly moist , but not waterlogged .
When the seedlings each have three to four truthful foliage , you may transplant them to six or eight - column inch pots filled with a mixture of organically - rich potting dirt and sand .
Or , apply garden soil amended with well - molder compost and sand . The key is to keep the dirt loose and well - draining .
Agapanthus plants develop well in potsbecause they actually enjoy being a bit root bound . They ’ll reward you with extra heyday if you lease them get nice and mingy and cozy .
you’re able to leave them in the six or eight - column inch pots indefinitely , or you’re able to graft them out to the garden or into a large container when the leave reach a altitude of six to eight inches . Go for a lower limit of eight inch wide and deep for a single plant .
If you started your seed in late summer or declivity , keep them in container indoors until the following spring .
By Root Division
So where can you get a root naval division ?
First off , if you ’re purchase a bare root flora from a glasshouse , it came from a theme partition .
A root division is a clon of the parent plant , so if you have a peculiar cultivar you would like to replicate , it ’s best to separate the plant instead of hold open semen .
you could plant divisions in the gloam or the springiness .
Just note that deciduous cultivars will stay dormantthroughout the winter . So if you plant them in the fall , do n’t worry if you do n’t see any new growth flop out .
You ’ll need to get into glove when you care your lily of the Nile , as the sap from the folio and rhizomes can cause skin botheration .
To start , you will call for to comprehend up the intact plant .
To do this , dig out six to eight column inch abstruse around the outside of an existing cluster , go out a margin of about six inches , depending on the sizing of the glob .
With a tongue , cut the tuberous root ball in half between the shoots , so you do n’t injure any new increment .
Take each of these sections and cut it in two . In the last , you ’ll have four new piece , each with at least one or two shoots attach .
Instead of repotting or replant them flop away , leave the new air division outside , uncovered and out of direct sunlight , for 24 hour . This allows the root word to stop bleeding sap and begin healing over the cold shoulder sections .
If you plant the new part too shortly , the moist land could get into those wounded roots and make them to rot .
check that the soil is on the loose , rich , and well - draining . It never hurts to amend the field with sand or perlite , and compost .
Dig a hole that ’s just deep and wide enough to go the stem ball .
Set the roots inside the pickle and backfill with the soil , moxie , and compost mixture . cover up the intact ascendent testicle , but set aside any shoot to poke up above the airfoil .
That ’s all there is to it !
If you ’re planting in the spring , you ’ll desire to give the plant life one inch of body of water per calendar week until it ’s establish . When it ’s happily producing lots of leaves and flowers , you may put up just a half - inch of water a week .
Agapanthus are illustrious for their drouth tolerance and favour not to have wet feet .
But if you ’re put the division in the undercoat during fall , it ’s best to irrigate it once and then let it be .
How to Grow Agapanthus Flowers
If you pick up a potted lily of the Nile from a nursery , or you ’re quick to coiffure out the plants you started from seed , plant them out in the fall or outflow .
Pick a fix infull sunor part shadiness . in particular in hot areas , these industrial plant can benefit from some good afternoon shade .
grok a hole just late and wide enough for the root musket ball , and localise it within . Backfill and provide one inch of water per workweek , until the plant is established and you see evidence of new growing .
After that , tiresome tearing to half an in every calendar week . ward off viewgraph lachrymation whenever possible , and considerusing drip irrigationto prevent spray surplus water on the foliation , which can leave to fungous contagion .
If you ’re implant several of these beauties together , make certain to range them 24 in apart , as they ’ll overspread up to 36 column inch as they get on .
Do n’t worry if they all eventually start rubbing their long , skinny elbows together . This means they ’ve produce a large , extra - tangly group of rhizome supporting them from below the dirt , and they love this eccentric of closeness .
These bloom can thrive in any dirt pH between 5.5 and 7.5 , and they do n’t need much fertilizer .
A dose of a 5 - 5 - 5 NPK fertilizer applied in the spring , and then again two months later , is enough to keep them felicitous for a whole year .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Knowing when and how to prune and asseverate your agapanthus can keep plants healthy and vigorous , and also forestall them from becoming invasive .
The most important thing to do is keep an eye on the blooming flowers nearly . As the peak protrude to croak back , deadhead themto prevent them from going to seed .
If they make grow seed pods before you could catch them , it ’s significant to remove the full head before the pod can open and fling seeds all over your yard and beyond .
You ’ll postulate some gloves and a pair of pruning shear . you could then dispose of the pod in the food waste . Just be certain not to dump the prime read/write head anywhere that they could potentially get outside and start overspread in office where you do n’t want them .
Deciduous miscellany will go inactive in the fall , but you ’ll desire to rent the leaves stay on the plant until they ’re completely dead and brownish .
This allows the leave-taking to stay on to photosynthesize and send energy into the rhizomes for winter storage .
Once all the leaves are brown and dead , gently pull or hack them off the plant .
add up spring , the plant will produce newfangled foliation and flower , assist by the store energy reserves .
There’sno requirement for chill hoursfor the deciduous type , so they can work in both temperate climate and closer to the tropic .
If your agapanthus are healthy with lots of fresh leaf every spring for deciduous cultivar , or year - round for evergreens , there ’s no indigence to divide them .
But if you notice patches of yellow , dead leaves , or if the plant is not flowering , it might have in mind the roots are too congested .
To doctor this issue , divide the plant life , harmonise to the teaching line above .
It ’s recommended to divide deciduous varieties every six to eight years , and evergreen plant type every four to five years .
you could acquire perennial in this pathfinder .
Cultivars to Select
There are a large act of agapanthus cultivar useable in a variety of different colors .
Here are three of my favorites .
Black Pantha
To set off your lighter agapanthus with something adorable and sinister , try out ‘ Black Pantha ’ ( A. orientalis ) , which features sinister bud that open into sinister reddish blue flowers .
‘ Black Pantha ’
This evergreen plant cultivar grows best in Zones 8 to 11 and farm up to 36 inches marvelous . good of all , the bloom of youth can last up to two week in a vase !
you may find plantsavailable at Burpee .
Galaxy White
Do you bed your nuts climate but on the QT bid snow fell at least sometimes ? revere not , becauseAgapanthusx . ‘ Galaxy White ’ is here to save five - inch , nose candy - white globes of flowers – without all the cold that comes with real blow .
‘ Galaxy White ’
These deciduous hybrid sweetheart arrive at heights of up to 44 inches , and fly high in Zones 6 - 11 .
Find either a plain etymon or a potted plantavailable at Burpee .
Little Galaxy
If you need a starry - eyed pick - me - up , plant deciduousAgapanthusx . ‘ Little Galaxy ’ in any garden from Zone 6 to 11 .
The light indigo blossom burst from the green stem with a joyousness you ca n’t help but partake in when you look at them .
‘ Little Galaxy ’
Reaching a acme of just 24 inch , ‘ small Galaxy ’ is minor than the typical 36 - column inch cultivars , but its two- to three - inch world of blossoms are the same sizing as those of some grandiloquent varieties .
The Melville Bell - shaped flower feature a dark blue stripe down the center of each petal for a gorgeously textured look .
Find stark theme plantsavailable at Burpee .
Want More Options ?
hold in out our “ 25 of the Best Agapanthus Varieties for Your Garden ” for more cultivar selections .
Managing Pests and Disease
commemorate when I say that agapanthus refuse many afflictions , including dying itself ?
While those with encroaching clumps may bemoan this fact , it does have an upside for gardeners who have intercourse them : they are reliably pest and disease resistant .
Deer do n’t trouble them , and they ’re vicious to rabbits , who will of course give them a wide berth .
The plants can sometimes accrue fair game to fungal disease likepowdery mildew , botrytis , or anthracnose , but if you avoid overhead watering , these usually wo n’t be a problem .
Monterey Liquid Copper Fungicide
If you do remark the ashen musca volitans of powdery mildew , the silvery coating of botrytis , or the telltale brownish spots of anthracnose , withdraw affected leaves and spray the rest of the flora with a copper fungicide , likethis one from Arbico Organics .
Another issue that can uprise is theme hogwash . Are the folio change state yellow and end to acquire ? Root rot , get by various species of bacteria and fungi that thrive in wet , boggy soil , might be the perpetrator .
hold out over - lachrymation , as plants may make grow origin bunkum as a result . By supply well - drain grunge and the appropriate amount of wet , you ’ll probably avoid any issues .
you could understand and treating lily of the Nile diseases here .
As far as pests go , keep an eye out for lick and escargot .
They do n’t tend to stamp out the flora , but they do masticate through the leaves and can regard its overall health .
Corry ’s Slug and Snail Killer
My favourite anti - slug weapon is Corry ’s Slug and Snail Killer , available from the Home Depot .
Best Uses for Agapanthus
These striking , upright flowers seem adorable in a perennial bloom bed , and they make a moony border .
flux and match different colors for an over-the-top presentation . The evergreen plant foliage provides yr - round interest .
Indoors , potted agapanthus can animate up a sunny room . Would n’t it be godly to keep a throne of them next to a bright windowpane in a dining room ?
The blooms make excellent additions to cut floral arrangements and are long - lasting .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
The Prettiest Lily that Isn’t a Lily
I ’ll never forget seeing those bright clusters of agapanthus blossom in Jamaica . One day , I ’ll go back and show my Logos that bit of island illusion .
Now you may have some of that deception in your own garden , too . Even if you do n’t live in the Caribbean .
And for more inspiration foryour blossom garden , check out these guidebook next :
© involve the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally publish July 27th , 2020 . Last update August 12th , 2023 . Product photo via Arbico Organics , Burpee , and Home Depot . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Laura Ojeda Melchor
