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Agapanthus praecox
Also called Bluelily, Agapanthus, Common Agapanthus, Lily Of The Nile
African-lily (Agapanthus praecox) is a clump-forming bulbous perennial from South Africa, widely grown as a garden plant, especially in Mediterranean climates. Give it well-drained soil and sun; it tolerates drought once established.
Agapanthus praecox (common agapanthus, blue lily, African lily, or lily of the Nile) is a popular garden plant around the world, especially in Mediterranean climates. It is native to the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. Local names include agapant, bloulelie, isicakathi and ubani. Most of the cultivated plants of the genus Agapanthus are hybrids or cultivars of this species. It is divided into three subspecies: subsp.praecox, subsp. orientalis and subsp. minimus.
The plant prefers a well-drained soil, but supports a poor soil. Exposure to full sun is preferable, but it supports partial shade. It has low tolerance to being moved. It can be multiplied by sowing (flowering under 3 to 4 years) or division. It tolerates drought once well installed, but watering is preferable in case of long dry periods. It overwinters as a stump and therefore completely disappears during the cold months. Contrary to popular belief, this species can withstand wind, frost and cold up to −15 °C provided that the strains are protected for the first two years with mulching.
Young shoots need to be protected from slugs and snails. A contribution of 2 or 3 handfuls of wood ash around the stump in the spring may keep the gastropods away and make a good contribution of potash.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Agapanthus praecox 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.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
