Agapanthus
Also called African lily, Lily of the Nile, Bloulelie.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 7 days in the growing season, every 30 in winter |
| Humidity | low |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 90 cm (35 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Agapanthus praecox.
Agapanthus is a South African plant that has become a summer fixture in gardens all over the world, and it asks for very little once it is settled. Seed can be sown fresh in late summer and autumn, which in South Africa means from February, or held back and sown in spring. Clumps are best lifted and split just after flowering, around early March there. In the north it is planted out in spring, in April and May, once the ground has warmed. The advice most people find hardest is to leave it alone. It flowers on crowded roots, so a pot that looks ready to burst is exactly right, and a clump lifted and divided every couple of years will sulk instead of flowering. Deep weekly water in spring, sun all day, and patience.
Ailments observed
| It will not flower | Too much shade, too much nitrogen, or a clump divided too often. Move it into full sun, feed with potash rather than a general fertiliser, and then leave it alone. These flower best when pot bound or congested. |
|---|---|
| Brown crisp edges on the leaves | Frost damage on an evergreen kind in a cold winter. Cut the spoiled leaves away in spring and mulch the crown before the next winter. The deciduous forms are far hardier than the evergreen ones. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner, Plants for infrequent watering
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