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Agapanthus
Also called Bluelilies, Lilies Of The Nile
Agapanthus is a genus of herbaceous perennials from Southern Africa, commonly grown in its cultivars and hybrids for their summer blue, purple or white flower heads. Give it sun, well-drained soil and summer water, and it is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11, with protection needed in colder areas.
Agapanthus () is a genus of plants, the only one in the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the family Amaryllidaceae. The subfamily was formerly treated as a separate family, Agapanthaceae. The family is in the monocot order Asparagales. The name is derived from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē), meaning "love", and ἄνθος (ánthos), meaning "flower".
Some species of Agapanthus are commonly known as lily of the Nile, or African lily in the UK. However, they are not lilies, and all of the species are native to Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique), though some have become naturalized in scattered places around the world (Australia, Great Britain, Mexico, Ethiopia, Jamaica, etc.).
Agapanthus praecox can be grown within USDA plant hardiness zones 9 to 11. In lower-numbered zones, the rhizomes should be placed deeper in the soil and mulched well in the fall. Summer water should be provided. Agapanthus can be propagated by dividing clumps or by seeds. The seeds of most varieties are fertile.
Several hundred cultivars and hybrids are cultivated as garden and landscape plants. Several are winter-hardy to USDA Zone 7.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Agapanthus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
