One of my favorites in a flower bed is the Lily of the Nile a/k/a Agapanthus Africanus. Why? Its long stalks, usually two to four feet in height, tower above lower plantings with globes (as many as twenty to 100 flowers) of delicate blue blooms. They give the bed a sense of ariness and elegance. Their blooms will last from May into July. Most references suggest Lily of the Nile is cold hardy to zone 8. A few find bliss in zone 7. Some Agapanthus varieties are evergreen and some are deciduous. Many of the evergreens can lose their leaves in the winter and still put on a show for summer if the temperature did not get too cold.
The Agapanthus is in the Amaryllis family. While the plant is listed in bulb books, it is really produced on rhizomes, which are thick, modified stems that grow below the soil.
Best blooming will occur in full sun, so choose a site that receives six to eight hours of sun. I have had the best success with plantings in partial shade of four to six hours of sun at the most. Feed with a balanced fertilizer or a 1-2-1 ratio in the spring and again in the summer.
The Lily of the Nile makes a good container plant as the "Thriller" as mwnioned in an earlier post- "Thrillem, Fillem, Spillem". Containers restrict root growth, which causes great flowering. Extra-special winter care is needed for plants grown in containers.
Once Lily of the Nile is established in the landscape, the clumps can be left alone and may not need to be divided for six years. They are easy to divide in the fall if you want more plants.
Til next time,
Poppy
Lily of the Nile
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