Plant Profile
Agapanthus Africanus subsp. africanus
Common names: Agapantha, Cape agapanthus, fynbos agapanthus, kleinbloulelei
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Sub Shrub
Up to 70 cm
Evergreen
Indigenous
Full Sun
Little water
Sandy Soil
Wind Resistant
Some Frost
Agapanthus are one of South Africa's best known garden plants and are grown in most countries in the world. 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.
Their strap-like leaves and striking blue or white flowers make them favourites in plant borders as well as in containers.
A. africanus is restricted to winter rainfall Western Cape, mainly from the Cape Peninsula to Paarl and Stellenbosch, and as far eastwards as Swellendam. Its range does not overlap with that of A. praecox found in the all-year rainfall Eastern Cape.
A. africanus is a winter rainfall plant and is difficult in cultivation, needing very well-drained soil, hot, dry summers and wet winters. A. africanus subspecies africanus is not suitable as a garden plant except in rockeries. They are best grown in containers in a well drained, slightly acid sandy mix and appear happiest if pot bound. They seem to grow best in shallow containers and will flower regularly if fed with a slow release fertiliser.
It can be propagated by fresh seed. The seed germinates best if sown in a well-drained seed mix and lightly covered. The seed trays should be placed on heated beds under a mist spray set for about five minutes twice a day. Germination takes place in 4 to 6 weeks and the trays should then be removed to a lightly shaded area. Good results will also be obtained when the trays are placed indoors or outdoors in light shade and watered twice a day, provided the day time temperature is higher than 18° Celsius.
Foliage
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The leaves are basal, curved, and linear, about 15 mm wide with an average length of 35 cm, growing up to 60 cm long. They are rather leathery and arranged in two opposite rows.
Flower
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Summer
Light Blue , Blue , Dark Blue
Decorative , For Vase
Unspecified
- Flower morphology
They have open faced, funnel-shaped or tubular flowers, ranging in colour from light to mainly deep blue. Rare sightings of white flowered plants have been recorded. Fires stimulate profuse flowering.
NOTES
This species is a winter rainfall area plant and can only be located in the Western Cape mainly from the Cape Peninsula to Paarl and Stellenbosch and as far east as Swellendam.It is one of the 2 evergreen species and is often confused with Agapanthus Praecox which is a popular and easily cultivated and grown species.
As a rule Agapanthus species are pest-hardy, neither being much attacked nor drastically affected by common garden pests. However, since the early 21st century Agapanthus in the far south of South Africa have fallen victim to a species of Noctuid moth, the Agapanthus Borer, Neuranethes spodopterodes. The larvae of the moth bore into the budding inflorescence and as they mature they tunnel down towards the roots, or emerge from the stem and drop down to feed on the leaves or rhizomes. A severe attack promotes rot and may stunt or even kill the plant; even plants that survive commonly lose most of their inflorescences and fail to produce the desired show of flowers.
Though Neuranethes spodopterodes is invasive in the regions where it has emerged as a pest, it is not an exotic invader, but a translocated species, having been imported inadvertently from its natural range in more northerly regions of the country.
