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Herbaceous Perennial

Agapanthus inapertus

closed African lily

A clump-forming herbaceous perennial 90-150cm or more high with deciduous, rather upright, strap-shaped leaves, up to 70cm long and 2-3cm across, and stiff, upright stems topped by umbels, 10-15cm across, of hanging flowers, 2.5-4cm long, in late summer and early autumn; the flowers are in shades of blue, often purplish and sometimes very dark in colour, and are tubular with the segments barely open at the mouth

Synonyms

Agapanthus weillighii
Agapanthus weilloghii hort.

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing or East–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 the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
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: Correct
Plant range: South Africa, Mozambique

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in full sun, and in colder areas provide winter protection with a dry mulch; in containers, grow in loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3, water freely when in growth but sparingly in winter, and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly from spring until flowering; for more advice, see Agapanthus cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown at 13-15°C when ripe or in spring, and keep the seedlings in a frame for the first winter in frost-prone climates, or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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

Pruning

No pruning required: allow flowering stems to remain, because the seedheads look attractive over winter

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails and agapanthus gall midge but generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus

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