Agapanthus africanus
| Agapanthus africanus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Agapanthus africanus (common name: african lily)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[1], it can also be sown in a greenhouse in March/April[2]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 18°c[2], do not sow it too thickly so that it is possible to grow the seedlings on in their pot without disturbing them for their first year of growth. Give occasional liquid feeds to make sure they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the seedlings up into individual pots in the spring following germination, grow them on for a further year in the greenhouse and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Seedlings take 2 - 3 years to flower[2].
Division of offsets in April/May. Do not move plants between October and March[3]. Division is very easy in the growing season, the divisions can be planed straight out into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Succeed in most soils[3], but prefers a light very well-drained porous soil with plenty of leaf-mold[4][1]. Plants need to be kept moderately dry during the growing season but with moisture in winter[4]. They only flower freely if growing in a very sunny position[3]. Plants succeed in maritime gardens[5].
This species is not very hardy in Britain[4], but some forms of the plant tolerate several degrees of frost[1]. They are best given a good mulch if temperatures lower than 0°c occur[1]. Plants are growing well at the foot of a wall in Cambridge Botanical Gardens[K].
Hybridizes very freely with other members of this genus, some botanists say there is only one very variable species of Agapanthus[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[5].
The flowering stems lean towards the sun[3].
Range: S. Africa.
Habitat: Upper slopes of Table mountain and the southern mountains[6].
Medicinal: Cardiac, stomachic[7].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: A. umbellatus. pro parte
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bird, Alfred. Focus on Plants Volume 5. Thompson and Morgan, 1991.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Adamson, Robert and Terence Salter. Flora of the Cape Peninsula. 1950.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.