
Agapanthus africanus
Blue African Lily or Blue Nile Lily
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This is a wonderful bulb, where I have seen it growing en masse naturalized in the dunes on Tresco Island off the coast of Cornwall, England. It is now harvested on Tresco as a cut-flower and shipped to markets in London on the same day. Although it is not supposed to be hardy in our zone 5 (USDA) garden we have had it flower (white form) for the past four years near a corner of the house under heavy mulch. For those not so fortunate an attempt at growing it in large pots is worth the effort.
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Family |
Amaryllidaceae |
Genus |
Agapanthus |
Species |
africanus |
Category |
Bulbs, Perennials, Tropicals |
Synonyms |
Agapanthus umbellatus |
RHS Hardiness Zone |
H4 |
Cultivation |
Moisture retentive soils that are well drained and in harsher climates mulched heavily with the mulch scraped back in early spring. |
Growth |
Fast |
Pests |
Occasional virus infections, remove and replace plants, planting in a fresh location. |
Leaf Description |
Long, narrow, arching leaves 10–35 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. |
Flower Description |
An umbel of 20-30 blue, funnel-shaped flowers, each flower 2.5–5 cm diameter. |
Notable Specimens |
Tresco Abbey Gardens, Scilly Isles, Cornwall, England. Logan Botanic Garden, Drummore, Scotland. |