African lily, Lily of the Nile
Agapanthus praecox var. minimus
Family: Amaryllidaceae
What it is like
A bulb plant. It grows up to 90 cm tall. It spreads to 60 cm wide. The leaves are strap like and stiff. They are 100-130 cm long. The flowers are trumpet shaped and blue to violet. They often have darker stripes. They occur in rounded heads of about 30 flowers.
There are about 10 Agapanthus species. Also put in the family family Agapanthaceae. There is only one genus in the Agapanthaceae family. They are all native to southern Africa.
Where it is found
It does best in a dry porous soil with plenty of leaf mould. It needs plenty of moisture while growing but needs to be kept dry during winter. It only flowers in very sunny positions. It occurs naturally in South Africa. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Australia, South Africa, Southern Africa, USA
How it is used for food
The root is cooked and eaten.
Edible parts
Root
How it is grown
It can be grown from fresh seed. They germinate in 1-3 months at 18°C. Seedlings should be grown undisturbed for one year. Plants can be grown by dividing the offsets during the growing season.
Seedlings take 2-3 years to flower.
Its other names
Local names
Agapanto