African lily

African lily: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense clump of strap-shaped leaves, 50–60 cm wide; flower stems 60 cm–1 m tall.

Leaves

Broad, strap-shaped and glossy green, up to 60 cm long; evergreen.

Flower

Rounded heads of dozens of funnel-shaped flowers on bare, sturdy stems, from July to September.

Colour

Sky blue to deep blue; white forms also exist.

Roots

Thick and fleshy, from a short rhizome; they soon fill a whole pot.

Flowering: July–September · Plants: April–May

Why grow it?

• Big blue or white globes from July to September: a real summer feel on a patio or balcony.
• A strong cut flower that lasts a long time in a tall vase.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the flowers.
• Evergreen: the clump looks good all year, even while it is overwintering.
• Little work: it flowers best when pot-bound and rarely needs repotting.

African lily: where does it grow best?

• Full sun in a warm, sheltered spot; in shade it hardly flowers.
• Well-drained, fertile soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral. In a pot, a mix of potting compost, garden soil and some coarse sand.
• Normally moist in summer, but never wet: excess water must be able to drain away.
• Preferably in a sturdy pot only just larger than the root ball; in the open ground only in a warm, dry spot with good winter protection.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.8 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -10 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Montbretia: Also from South Africa, with orange and red flowers in the same summer months.
• Fountain grass: Soft plumes that stand out nicely against the blue globes.
• Lavender: For a southern feel in the same sunny, dry spot.
• Gaura: Airy white or pink flowers that dance between the stems.

African lily: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant or repot in April–May, before new growth is well under way.
2. Choose a heavy, sturdy pot with a drainage hole, only just larger than the root ball: in a pot that is too big it mainly makes leaves.
3. Put a layer of gravel or crocks in the bottom and fill with potting compost mixed with some garden soil and coarse sand.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as before, with the base of the leaves just above the soil, and firm in.
5. In the open ground, plant 40–50 cm apart in a sunny, free-draining spot.
6. Water, and only move the pot into full sun after mid-May, once night frosts are over.

Care

Water

Regularly from May to August, but let the top few centimetres dry out in between. Less from September, hardly any in winter.

Feeding

Liquid feed for flowering plants every two weeks from May to August. Stop in September.

Deadheading

Cut spent stems off at the base, or leave them for the decorative seed heads.

Repotting

Only when the pot cracks or the roots push up out of it, usually every 4–5 years, in spring.

Cut flowers

Cut the stems when the first flowers in the head open.

Tip: Only repot when the pot is truly full or cracks, and then choose a pot just a few centimetres larger. Tight roots give the most flowers.

African lily: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed. Just remove spent flower stems and yellow or damaged leaves.

How:

• After flowering, cut the bare stems off at the base, unless you want to keep the seed heads.
• Remove yellow and dead leaves at the base.
• In spring, cut away leaves damaged by frost; new ones soon grow back.

Caution: Do not cut off healthy green leaves: the plant needs them to flower the following year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In April–May, when repotting: cut the root ball with a sharp knife or spade into pieces with a few shoots each. Divided plants sometimes skip a year of flowering.

Seed

Sow ripe seed indoors in spring in a light, warm place. Seedlings take a few years to flower and do not always resemble the parent.

African lily: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• It tolerates short spells down to about −10 °C, but only with dry roots; frost in wet soil is fatal.
• Before the first hard frost, usually in October–November, move pots to a frost-free, dry, cool and preferably light place at 5–10 °C, such as a cold greenhouse or a light garage.
• In winter, give only an occasional splash of water, just enough to keep the leaves healthy. Overwintering too warm and too dark costs flowers.
• In the open ground, protect the roots well in winter with a thick layer of straw, leaves or wood chips.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: Usually a pot that is too large, too little sun or overwintering too warm. Keep it pot-bound, in full sun, and cool in winter.
• Slugs: They eat the young leaves and buds. Pick them off in the evening, especially on plants in the open ground.
• Root rot: Limp, yellow leaves and a soft base due to soil that is too wet, especially in winter. Ensure good drainage and water very little in winter.
• Frost damage: Glassy, limp or brown leaves after a cold night. Cut them off in spring and bring the plant in on time next year.

Through the year

• January: Overwinter cool, light and dry. An occasional splash of water.
• March: Water a little more as new growth starts.
• April: Repot or divide if the pot is too full. Plant in the open ground.
• May: Move outside into full sun after mid-May. Start feeding.
• June: Water regularly and feed every two weeks. Flower stems appear.
• July: Flowering begins. Cut flowers for the vase.
• August: Full bloom. Water in dry spells.
• September: Last flowers. Cut off spent stems. Stop feeding.
• October: Bring pots in before the first hard frost.
• November: In the open ground, mulch the base thickly. Little water in pots.
• December: Rest in a cool, light place.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of African lily (agapanthus) are poisonous, especially the fleshy roots and the sap: eating it can irritate the mouth, with a burning feeling and drooling, and cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. On the skin the sap can cause redness and itching: wear gloves when dividing the clump, repotting or pulling away old leaves, and wash your hands afterwards. Do not let children or pets chew the roots exposed when you divide it. Despite the name it is not a true lily (Lilium), and so less dangerous to cats than lilies, but still keep a pot that overwinters indoors or in the greenhouse, and a vase of the flowers, out of reach of cats and dogs that chew leaves. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name comes from the Greek words agape, love, and anthos, flower: the flower of love.
• In the Azores it has naturalised and lines the roads in long blue hedges.
• Evergreen African lilies like this one are less hardy than the deciduous species, which grow in colder mountain areas of South Africa.