African Lily, Lily of the nile
Agapanthus africanus

Family: Alliaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Blue. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer. Form: Irregular or sprawling, Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.

Agapanthus africanus is an evergreen Bulb growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Rocky sandstone slopes, usually in montane regions. Upper slopes of Table mountain and the southern mountains.

S. Africa - Cape Peninsula to Swellendam.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 1

Cardiac, stomachic.

Cardiac: Used in the treatment of heart problems.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Foundation, Massing, Specimen. Succeed in most soils, but prefers a light very well-drained porous soil with plenty of leaf-mold. Plants need to be kept moderately dry during the growing season but with some moisture in winter. They only flower freely if growing in a very sunny position. Plants succeed in maritime gardens. The rhizomes are best planted only just below soil level - a mulch of gravel or stone chips will help to keep the crown of the plant free from excess moisture. This species does not usually do well in cultivation. In the wild it usually only flowers freely in the year following a bush fire. This species is not very hardy in Britain, but some forms of the plant tolerate several degrees of frost. They are best given a good mulch if temperatures lower than 0°c occur. Plants are growing well at the foot of a wall in Cambridge Botanical Gardens. Hybridizes very freely with other members of this genus, some botanists say there is only one very variable species of Agapanthus. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. The flowering stems lean towards the sun. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Naturalizing, Attracts butterflies, Suitable for cut flowers, Suitable for dried flowers, Attractive flowers or blooms.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe, it can also be sown in a greenhouse in March/April. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 18°c, do not sow it too thickly so that it is possible to grow the seedlings on in their pot without disturbing them for their first year of growth. Give occasional liquid feeds to make sure they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the seedlings up into individual pots in the spring following germination, grow them on for a further year in the greenhouse and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Seedlings take 2 - 3 years to flower. Division of offsets in April/May. Do not move plants between October and March. Division is very easy in the growing season, the divisions can be planed straight out into their permanent positions if required.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 9-10

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

A. umbellatus. pro parte