Agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox) (2024)

FAQs

Do agapanthus come back every year? ›

Agapanthus are perennials which means they come back each year. Most are hardy, and their leaves will die back each winter before returning in the spring. Evergreen types tend to be more tender, so will need some protection in the winter and early spring.

The species Agapanthus africanus and Agapanthus praecox are evergreen perennials, dependably hardy to Zones 8-10. While these species are similar in appearance, the leaves of A. praecox are longer and broader than A. africanus.

The Zulu use agapanthus to treat heart disease, paralysis, coughs, colds, chest pains and tightness. It is also used with other plants in various medicines taken during pregnancy to ensure healthy children, or to augment or induce labour.

Select The Right Site

Agapanthus thrive in full sun and need 6-8 hours of sunlight each day. However, they do better in partial shade in hot climate areas. Agapanthus perform best in fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. They show no preference for pH, except Agapanthus africanus which prefers an acid soil.

It is a perennial plant that can live for up to 75 years. Its evergreen leaves are 2 cm wide and 50 cm long. Its inflorescence is an umbel. The flowers are blue, purple or white and bloom from late spring to summer, followed by capsules filled with black seeds.

There is some discrepancy in the cold hardiness of Agapanthus. While most gardeners agree the plants cannot withstand sustained frozen temperatures, northern gardeners are often surprised to find their Lily of the Nile has come back in spring in spite of a round of freezing temperatures.

With proper care, agapanthus flowering occurs repeatedly for several weeks throughout the season, then this perennial powerhouse returns to put on another show the next year. Agapanthus is a nearly indestructible plant and, in fact, most agapanthus varieties self-seed generously and may even become somewhat weedy.

Grow Agapanthus in full sun or partial shade (partial shade is recommended in warm inland areas of the West) and rich, well-drained soil. Most plants are tender and should be grown in containers to bring indoors for the winter (except for 'Midknight Blue' which is hardy in Zones 6–10).

Unfortunately, the very qualities that make this plant such a trooper in challenging conditions also give it the potential to become invasive. In some regions, agapanthus has been known to take over bushland and other sensitive areas, out-competing local flora for resources and unbalancing the surrounding ecosystem.

Plant Details

This evergreen perennial will grow about 2' tall and wide; it has long, strap-like green leaves with a round cluster of blue flowers (there is also a white variety) that bloom in spring and summer rising above the foliage. It will grow in all soils but prefers loam soil. It does best in full or part sun.

Is Agapanthus praecox toxic to dogs? ›

Numerous cultivars of this lily are available commercially. Special Notes Agapanthus lilies are probably of minimal toxicity to animals unless eaten in quantity. However, where a dog or cat is prone to chewing on plants, it would be prudent to remove the plant from the animals environment.

A landscape staple in warm-winter regions, agapanthus is a low-maintenance perennial that produces colorful clusters of blue or white trumpet-shaped flowers in summer and fall.

Agapanthus is propagated in two ways — by seed or by division of the clump. Once established, agapanthus can spread slowly by seed. Unlike berry-producing weedy plants, such as privet or cotoneaster, agapanthus is not spread by birds. Instead, seeds fall around the clump and have a tendency to drift downhill.

Blue agapanthus would give depth to a pastel border, or complement brightly coloured dahlias, day lilies, rudbeckias and cannas that bloom at the same time.

Enjoy Nonstop Blooms All Summer Long

(Most agapanthus bloom only once per season.) The bell-shaped flowers of the two Summer Love varieties in this collection are white and medium blue, and form in somewhat spherical clusters; the foliage of both is deep green and grasslike.

A non-blooming agapanthus plant may need fertilizer – but not too much. Try feeding the plant twice monthly during springtime, using a water-soluble fertilizer for blooming plants, and then cut back to once monthly when the plant begins to bloom. Stop fertilizing when the plant stops blooming, usually in early autumn.