Planting & Growing Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus) – 8 Things You Need To Know

After a well - deserved summer vacation , most multitude generally arrive back home with a few memento ; or maybe sporting a courteous golden tan ; or , as is the suit of my married man , a new recipe to examine to retroflex at home . As a gardener , I number back from holiday with even more ideas of plants I want to grow in my backyard .

However , there ’s an obvious glitch in this method of gathering inspiration . As we often holiday in places that are warmer and sunnier than where we live on , most of the time the intake does n’t go past the idea microscope stage . There ’s no way I could copy a Mediterranean garden in my perpetually sunless urban center great deal during the very light summer season we do get , if we ’re favourable . Or at least this is what I severalize myself in rules of order to avoid the heartbreak of yet another dead plant .

But there are elision to this rule . And one of the plants that helped me break this tough spell was agapanthus ( also known aslily of the Nile ) .

Some of the agapanthus that I wish I could have brought home on my summer vacation. This one is growing in a park in the middle of Bordeaux, France.

After three consecutive summers where it was a constant sight in gardens and city parks much further south , I decide to give it a try in my own garden . The rest , as they say , it ’s history .

Far be it from me to order you what you should make infinite for in your own piece of paradise ( as I affectionately call garden ) . But if you have a few minutes , let me severalise you a few things about agapanthus that may or may not convert you to plant some this spring . ( I mean it will . )

1. Agapanthus is another name for Lily of the Nile.

A rise up by any other name is still a rose , right ? Well , agapanthus go bad by a few other names . You may know it aslily of the Nile(despite not originating from anywhere near the Nile basin),African lily(despite not being in the lily folk at all ) orblue lily .

I choose to use the name agapanthus . I think the give-and-take just rolls off the clapper and has a sure elegance to it . And if you ’re a countersign geek , the etymology of the world is quite telltale . In Ancient Greek , agapeis one of the words used to express love ( the familial kind ) whileanthosis the word for flowers , especially wild flower . So for the dear of flowers , get yourself an agapanthus .

Moving on from Greek to Latin , you may also happen this plant asAgapanthus praecox , Agapanthus umbellatusorAgapanthus orientalis . You may even see it label asAgapanthus africanus , due to its South African passport . Although even when you see it asA. africanus , it ’s still probably one of the three garden varieties mentioned above . The realAgapanthus africanusis still the name of the one that originate in the wild .

Some of the agapanthus that I wish I could have brought home on my summer vacation. This one is growing in a park in the middle of Bordeaux, France.

But the name is not what ’s at post here . Whatever you desire to call it , you ’ll feel that agapanthus goes well in any garden layout . Its tall bunch of bloom ( called an umbel ) makes a salient accession to any flower seam or delimitation from June through August ; and depending on what cultivar you ’re grow , each umbel may have from forty up to a hundred flowers .

In addition to the lovely flowers , the foliage is elegant and sturdy . And the bee and hummingbirds will be buzzing around your agapanthus all summer long .

2. You can start agapanthus from bare roots.

The easiest way to get some lily of the Nile into your garden is to purchase them as potted plants . However , that ’s by far the most expensive method acting . You might also read that you may start agapanthus from seed . But what this piece of gardening advice forgets to mention is that it will take twelvemonth for an African lily start from seed to give rise bloom . Why wait so long to enjoy bloom ?

The middle ground , that is both low-priced and brings a certain amount of exigent gratification , is to begin your agapanthus from unornamented roots .

Last descent , I write an entire article aboutthe advantages of bare root word planting . It ’s cheap , it ’s more eco - friendly and it has a gamey success rate . But if you ’re planting agapanthus , ensure you wait until spring to do it . Agapanthus is a lovesome herbaceous plant that develop from fleshy elongated rhizomes . And these rhizome wo n’t ground well in below - freeze temperatures .

Agapanthus on a pedestrian bridge connecting two parks in Toulouse, France.

3. You can start agapanthus indoors in pots.

I mentioned above that I have a rather light growing season , at least liken to the sunny climates where agapanthus originates from . So to get around this limit , I wish to start my lily of the Nile indoors a good month ( or even six week ) before I transplant it alfresco to my garden bed .

This twelvemonth , I started my lily of the Nile in mid - March , right after I was done withpotting up my dahlia tubers .

You can crowd your agapanthus a bit.

My horticulture sense of taste run a bit on the messy cottage garden side , so I consider that the African lily looks particularly stunning when it ’s constitute in clumps or heading . Now I do n’t have room for masses of flower in my backyard , but I can accommodate a small grouping .

So I ’m combine two agapanthus ancestor in the same mint ( a whitened one and a over-embellished one ) and keeping the third plant ( a more or less taller cultivar ) in a separate container .

Plant with the young sprouts facing up.

Since planting agapanthus is a spring line , you ’ll see that most of the bare roots have already protrude pullulate . Each rhizome sends out several shoots , so chances are there are at least a few hints as to which side you should plant up .

The young shoots are more seeable on some plants than on others . Do your best to identify the Modern growth . But if you ’re plant flat in the garden , the plant will find its fashion up eventually .

Agapanthus is not a handsome lover of stay too miry , so make certain you start the rootstock in some well - draining potting soil .

Agapanthus in a community garden in La Rochelle, France.

However , as is the case for any electric light , rhizome or tuber , the plant does need a number of moisture around the roots for jumpstart the growing unconscious process for the season . End your potting session by water equally and allowing the piss to run out before you bring the pot back indoors .

While the plant is still in its infancy , I crack the muckle about once a week to see if it ’s damp enough . So far , I ’ve only had to irrigate it about once a hebdomad . But once the African lily starts growing faster , as the days get warmer and longer , I ’ll bit by bit set about giving it a bit more weewee .

Agapanthus is slow to start.

It use up a bit for agapanthus to show signs of growth . Here it is , about three workweek after I planted it . As I mentioned above , every rootstalk may send out several shoots , and it looks like two bare roots have turned into three plants , with a brace more still growing sneakily below the surface .

I will keep this commode indoors until other May when the danger of all-night frost has guide . If you ’re commence your agapanthus in pots , make certain you keep it under cover in a warm location such as a greenhouse or a conservatory . Even a garage will do , as long as the works is getting some light in outpouring .

4. Agapanthus is very tolerant of different soil conditions.

How am I doing with convincing you to imbed some lily of the Nile in your garden ? Still a skeptic ? Let me give you another reason to do it .

Once established , agapanthus will tolerate very dissimilar case of stain conditions . Naturally , it does well in soil that run out well ( like most rhizomes , it will decompose in constantly wet soils ) . However , it will also happily grow in sandlike , loamy or clay stain , and even in soil that ’s not peculiarly nutrient - productive . It will abide both alkaline as well as acidic filth . How ’s that for a state trooper ?

Of course , you should do your best to ready the soil before transplant by supply some constitutional issue , in ordination to improve drain and ground aeration ; but there ’s no penury to fuss too much over this flora .

Agapanthus combines beautifully with dahlias, zinnia and summer herbs.

If you want to get as many blooms as possible , transplant your agapanthus to a situation that gets full sun ( about six hours a day ) . But you ’ll still get rosiness and an abundance of lance - shaped inflexible foliation if you only have a part - shade bed to work with .

Agapanthus may need a number more water while it ’s still produce . But once it ’s established , it deform into a drought - kind workhorse . It reaches peak flush after two or three age , so do n’t panic if it ’s not full of flowers in its first summertime time of year .

5. Agapanthus can be deciduous or evergreen.

Ok , this was a new one even for me when I first started search how to care for agapanthus before I planted it in my garden . Now if you ’re in a horticulture zona that does n’t get a right winter , your lily of the Nile may stay leafy all twelvemonth long . But that ’s not always the case . And it ’s not always a good planetary house .

Deciduous agapanthushas thinner leave of absence that fail back course once the declination season draws to an end . The plant back away underground to overwinter and will emerge again in the spring germinate new foliage ; in this respect , it acquit very much like a even perennial .

evergreen plant agapanthusgenerally has wider leaves ( though not always ) . It will keep its leaves on throughout the winter month , as long as you localize it in frost - liberal sheltered space .

Buying bare root perennials is both affordable and eco-friendly.

know which one you ’ve got is not always so straightforward . If you ’re buy new agapanthus , the plant label should specify this info . On the other hand , if you ’ve inherited a new - to - you garden or if you ’ve take over an agapanthus from a gardening friend , the in effect way is to wait and see . In the dusk , pay off nigh attention to your lily of the Nile .

Do all the leaves dry out out with not much left above ground ? Then you have a deciduous variety .

Does your African lily keep most of its leaves ? Then it ’s an evergreen variety . It ’s deserving mentioning that even the evergreen motley will lose some of their foliage , especially the elderly leaves growing on the edges . That does n’t mean it ’s not evergreen , just that it ’s drop some dead weight .

This year, I’m starting new agapanthus plants from bare roots.

6. You can overwinter your agapanthus.

Just in case the evergreen plant option sound more appealing , you should know that it ’s the deciduous one that ’s more wintertime hardy . In any case , if you ’re gardening in a zone that gets abrasive winters with below - freeze temperature , you should winter your agapanthus indoors ( much as you would dahlias ) .

If you ’re grow agapanthus in container , simply bring the containers to a sheltered locating where the temperatures wo n’t drop below freezing . Both the deciduous agapanthus and the evergreen plant one will enter a time of year of dormancy , so there ’s no need to water them too much during the wintertime .

If bringing your African lily indoors is not potential , you’re able to use a couple of layers of protection from the inhuman while . Start by adding a bed of mulch on top of the roots and the crown , then plow it with a sturdy horticultural fleece . A bed of burlap topped up with some evergreen plant branch cutting is another strategy for overwinter this plant in place .

Come to think of it, agapanthus does look a bit like a skinny dahlia tuber.

7. You can grow agapanthus in containers.

Mature agapanthus , like the ones I had set my visual modality on when I was traveling , look quite intimidate for those of us who garden in small quad . But there are agapanthus cultivars that are suitable for small space and will grow really well in containers . Smaller salmagundi of agapanthus include :

When you grow lily of the Nile in container , always prefer a pot that has drainage pickle . Yes , I cognise this should be obvious by now . But after experience so many gorgeous terrace containers at my local horticulture center that are totally sealed up and have no means to let the water drain out , I feel it ’s my obligation to remind you of this container horticulture prerequisite .

you’re able to start with a 12 - column inch kitty ( about 30 cm ) during the first couple of summertime , then graduate to a larger container after that . I know , all too well , the temptation to take a shortcut and plant directly in a large container .

I’m starting a couple of roots in a single pot. I’ll transfer them to the garden in about six weeks.

But unless you ’re blend your agapanthus with other plant life , start with a little quite a little . Another vantage of this plan is that more or less cut back the roots will result in more blooms . Up to a point though , so do n’t let it get too overcrowded . An overcrowded agapanthus will pull in a very convincing human action and escape out of its flowerpot like a 90s celebrity sorcerer .

Even though African lily are by and large drought - broad , if you set them in a container , you should verify you water them enough in the natural spring and summertime . They may even need a daily soaking in the summer if you ’re not getting enough rainfall .

8. You only need to buy agapanthus once, then keep dividing it.

I ’ve already mentioned that African lilies may take a couple of year to get established in a landscape and reach their bloom potential . But once established , it will take a few year before they get down getting crowded . The agapanthus rhizomes , like any electric-light bulb that are well - lean , will reproduce underground .

So after a few long time ( anywhere from three to five , depending on the climate you ’re garden in ) , you ’ll have to dig it out and divide it . Since agapanthus is a somewhat tender perennial , hold launch the division job for after the plant is done flowering ( at the end of summer ) or for the following outflow .

Doing the section in the fall will strain the plant unnecessarily before the onset of the cold season . Keep in head that some of the small baby plants that you ’ll get after sectionalization may not flower during their first year . That ’s completely normal and expected .

Agapanthus bare roots may look a bit confusing. Plant them with the new growth facing up.

Some the great unwashed report mild allergic reactions to agapanthus sap , so check that you bust the proper aegis gear ( horticulture glove and long sleeve ) when you split up the roots and the rootstalk .

If you ’ve made it to the destruction of the clause , I think it ’s dependable to say you could see mighty through me by now . Under the guise of casually offering some agapanthus trivia , I was surreptitiously trying to convert you to plant some agapanthus in your own garden . If it worked , I ’d be so glad . And you ’ll be just as happy too , come July .