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Herbaceous PerennialSynonym

Agapanthus africanus 'Albus' misapplied

African lily 'Albiflorus'

A herbaceous perennial up to 1.2m high with evergreen leaves, 40-70cm long, and round flowerheads, up to 25cm across, of a hundred or more white flowers, up to 5cm long, from late summer to early autumn

Other common names

white African lily [misapplied]

Synonyms

Agapanthus africanus 'Albus' misapplied
Agapanthus umbellatus 'Albus'
see moreAgapanthus praecox 'Albus'
Agapanthus 'Africanus White'
Agapanthus orientalis 'Albus'
Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis 'Albus'
Agapanthus 'Blanco'
Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis var. albiflorus

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Amaryllidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Humans/Pets (dogs, cats): harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Agapanthus are clump-forming perennials with narrowly strap-shaped leaves, evergreen in some species, and erect stems bearing umbels of funnel-shaped blue or white flowers
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

In colder areas, grow in containers in peat-free, loam-based compost, water freely when in growth but sparingly in winter, and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly from spring until flowering; in milder areas, grow outside in moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in full sun, in a sheltered position such as a south-facing or wet-facing wall, and provide winter protection with a dry mulch; for more advice, see Agapanthus cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Mediterranean climate plants
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wall side borders
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required except cutting back dead flower stems, but allow them to remain until spring, because the seedheads look attractive over winter

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails and agapanthus gall midge

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus

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