Native to South Africa, Agapanthus are such flamboyant and exotic-looking perennials that it is impossible not to love them! Easy to grow, pest and disease free, they feature showy, rounded clusters of brightly colored flowers on stiff, upright stalks atop clumps of beautiful, long, shiny leaves. They look spectacular when planted in great swathes, fit most garden settings or mixed borders, make fantastic accent plants in containers and are excellent cut flowers!
- Blooming for months from early summer to early fall, they come in a variety of colors, including purple, blue, and white, and range in size from 18 inches (45 cm) to 4 feet tall (120 cm). Their glossy leaves vary in shape and color from rich green to gray green, some being variegated.
- Some cultivars are deciduous, others are evergreen. Most cultivars are drought tolerant and present a great choice for coastal areas as they cope well with windy and salty air.
- Hardy to zones 7-10 (deciduous varieties) or 8-10 (evergreen varieties), Agapanthus grow from fleshly-rooted rhizomes and thrive in full sun (part shade is tolerated), in fertile, moist and well-drained soil.
- Plant crowns in spring, 2 inches below the ground (5 cm) and provide a dry mulch protection over winter.
- Remove the flower heads as soon as the blooms are over in order to prevent self seeding. During the winter, pots or containers should be taken indoors.
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