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Agapanthus stands the test of time

© Gary Buckley

Agapanthus:Alliaceae.

My first introduction to this genus came from fleeting impressions running between the bundy clock and the Accident and Emergency department. At this stage, as you may have guessed; I knew nothing about plants. Years later, I realised that these flowers which reliably bloomed each year in full sun to part shade were mainly hybrids, which most mass plantings in gardens are.

Agapanthus rank among the most easily cultivated geophytic plants; few gardeners have not grown these. They have never really gone out of fashion, indeed; they seem timeless.

They are grown best in warm sunny conditions with moderately fertile soils, but are very tolerant of a wide range of conditions, as long as the drainage is not poor. Yes, I know the evergreen species like a lot of water over summer, but without good drainage, these will do poorly.

Agapanthus also make excellent container plants if fertilised with slow release fertiliser each spring.

The root stock is rhizomatous with fleshy perennial roots. The evergreen species and hybrids annually shed some of their outer older leaves. These are replaced with new growth from the apex of the growing shoot.

Deciduous species lose all their leaves in fall(autumn) and remain dormant throughout the winter months; producing new leaves as the weather warms up in Spring.

The varying foliage on the deciduous species makes them an attractive plant for leaf form alone, though the flowers are pretty spectacular. The foliage varies in shape from fine and narrow and lance like leaves to broad and strap shaped foliage. The colour range depending on which species grown varies from grey green to bright green.

All of the deciduous species are hardy down to Zone 7 because of their nature of winter sleeps; dormancy! These are found at elevation in South Africa; we all tend to think of S.A. as hot, but inland and at elevation, they can and do get heavy frosts and snow.

Agapanthus are easily propagated by division or seed in the early spring. The following plants are newish selections in trade.

Agapanthus -Blue Baby.

A distinctive and compact hybrid (clonal) selection made in New Zealand,with leafy clumps of deciduous foliage and heads of large, amethyst flowers held above on 18" stems. Full sun in well-drained soil, with adequate moisture, or as an easy and long-lived container plant.

Agapanthus 'Blue Mist'

Sky blue flowers with a hint of violet, in large heads, atop 15-18" stems, arising from handsome clumps of foliage to 1' in length; excellent as a groundcover or flowering specimen, in partial shade or full sun, in well-drained soil.

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