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Agapanthus
The agapanthus forms a genus of about ten species whose name literally means love (agape) flower (anthos). Their leaves are narrow and they are popular for their green foliage and long summer blooms. The leaves grow from the fleshy rhizome roots. They are ideal for a background drop in flowerbeds and come in varying degrees of blue, purple, and white. Likewise, the flowers may be in clumps from one to 100.
Propagation is usually done by division, however, with patience, seed can be sown in the fall and in the spring.
Some questions from Emily's mailbox: Q: I live in Pensacola, FL, which is on the gulf coast of Florida. I have several Lilly of the Niles that I brought back from Jacksonville, FL and planted in the ground. They are approx. 4' in height and the blooms are 6" in diameter. They have already bloomed and the flowers have fallen off. The pods are hanging on the ends. Can I cut them off and dry them out to plant? I read on your web-site to leave them on until winter, which in FL that is a long time from now. A: Good question and one we did not cover in the article on our web site. Yes, when the pods dry you can cut them off and dry them the rest of the way to plant. However, our "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants" says "most plants grown from garden seeds do not come in true." and that, "They will flower in 2-3 years." This is not unusual for highly cultivated plants like the Lilly of the Nile. The seeds do not produce plants that are true to the parent. The flower will probably be a different color when it blooms at all. Best idea is to propagate by division in early spring. Q: Someone picked up a lily of the Nile at home depot saying that he eats a little piece of it every day because it helps with many illnesses. I thought this plant was poisonous? A: The lily of the Nile is an agapanthus, not actually in the lily family. There are a number of good web sites for poisonous plants. One of our favorites is http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html They list the lily as poisonous but say nothing on either of their pages (poisonous or non-poisonous) about the lily of the Nile. I could not find the agapanthus listed as poisonous on any other poison
site I looked at, either.
Q: I have six Lilly of the Nile plants in my back yard I was wondering how to care for them. Do you need to separate to bulbs every so often and how much water do they need. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada so that will tell you what climate I'm in. A: Agapanthus grow in fertile, moist soil. Water well in the growing
season. Fertilize every month. Q: In your information on lily of the Nile, you said propagation is usually done by division. Can you tell me if this is a delicate task or is it done by just cutting between shoots and digging one up for replanting. A: No, the division of the lily of the Nile is quite simple. Very much like the daylily. Dividing early in the spring before the bulb has set a flower bud is best. Otherwise I would wait 'til the fall. After a good rain will help the digging. Also try to do this task early in the morning to prevent stress, and strain on the plant. Try to dig the entire plant ball up together and massage the dirt off and see exactly the different root areas. Or dig up and slice in half or third. Replanting the same day and watering well. Do not fertilize 'til the plant is settled in and has taken root. Q: I have several agapanthus that are going very well. My question is after the flower fades when do I cut the stalk it was on? A: From the garden encyclopedia "Botanica" it says, "Remove spent flower stems and dead leaves at the end of winter." |
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These
beautiful and hardy plants are native to the rocky soil of southern Africa. It becomes a
very strong perennial for Zones 9-11. These grass-like clumps will usually
grow between one and three feet.
The
plant requires full sun - if not, at least half a day. They can thrive in
conditions of neglect and on dry slopes and on the coast. They will
tolerate most conditions of soil as long as they get water in the spring
and in the summer. It is an excellent plant to naturalize, and can also be
used as a container plant.