Agapanthus (African Lily) is a summer flowering perennial (grown from bulbous root stocks) and is native to South Africa. Agapanthus features spectacular blue, white, pink and purple flowers on top of deciduous and tender evergreen leaves which would be a stunning addition to any Mediterranean or exotic landscape.

Agapanthus flourishes from the Spring through late Summer in well draining, moisture retentive and fertile soil and requires full sun. Fertilize every several weeks with a high potash liquid emulsion. Agapanthus africanus, however, is the only variety that requires acidic soil.  In colder regions, tender evergreen varieties are best grown in terracotta pots and brought indoors in the fall for moderate overwintering warmth.. Make sure you stop watering and feeding in September to allow the plant to dry out.More hardier, deciduous varieties will need to be mulched heavily during winter months (remove mulch promptly spring before new growth starts up). The most common problem when growing Agapanthus is frost damage. Deadheading spent flowers is recommended.

A few well known varieties:

Agapanthus ‘Blue Storm’ – Evergreen variety features bell shaped sky blue flowers which reach 30 inches when in bloom. Perfect as a border or edging plant and most often features in urban gardens.

Agapanthus ‘Blue Yonder’ – Cold hardy variety, featuring striped cobalt blue flowers. It reaches 2 1/2 to 3ft. Perfect in container, rock gardens or planted in mass in many garden landscapes.

Agapanthus ‘Snow Storm’ – A herbicious variety (2 to 3 ft tall and wide) that features stunning white, bell shaped flowers. Perfect if planted in mass in a small landscape, a border plant or planted in containers.