Flower of the Week: Agapanthus

Nothing can be more refreshing to the eyes on hot summer days than a visual highlight in cool colors.

When you walk past yards and gardens and catch sight of clusters of lovely agapanthuses in blue or light purple, you can practically feel a breeze of coolness take the heat away.

An emblem of “striking love,” agapanthus has small, exquisite umbrella-type blooms gathered in plump, lively bundles.

Parks and yards are made pretty with its presence, and it can also add joyful decorative delight to your home when you bring potted agapanthus home.

A Lily in Name But not Truly a Lily

Agapanthus originates from Southern Africa. Its genus name, Agapanthus, means “flowers of love” in Greek. It is also called names like “Blue Lily,” “African Lily,” “Lily of the Nile”, etc.

Despite its resemblance to a small-sized lily and historical classification in the Liliaceae family (due to its appearance and how its ovary is formed), agapanthus is not truly a lily.

Now, with a genetic examination and new rules of classification, it has been re-classified to the Amaryllidaceae family.

Although agapanthus is not a lily, its flower language still says “love strikes,” and you can still give this flower to the one you love.

Places of Interest

Agapanthus is hugely popular in Australia. If you’d like to see a continuous sea of beautiful blue-violet flowers, visit Australia in the summer (keep in mind summer there is the wintertime of the Northern hemisphere). The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney and Stanley, Tasmania, are two scenic spots worth recommending.

The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney is a large arboretum located in downtown Sydney. Founded in 1816, it is Australia’s oldest scientific research institution and one of the world’s most important research facilities for historical plants, with over 20,000 plant species in its collection.

Take a stroll in the Southern African Garden, and a profusion of blue-violet agapanthuses will welcome you with gorgeous blossoms waving in the breeze – a lovely sight.

If you don’t feel like going to the tourist-packed arboretum, a vacation in the township of Stanley may be another choice.

Take a walk along the seashore, and a long belt of blooming agapanthuses in front of beach houses and cottages on the hillsides will catch your eyes. Ageless white, tranquil blue, and mysterious purple, they swing and dance in the wind with a peaceful appeal.

For a moment, you can let go of the hustle and flow of the city, embrace the green ocean and blue sky, get footloose on the beach for a relaxed run, and imagine you’ve entered into a dreamland only fairy tales can offer.

Claude Monet's Agapanthus

Claude Monet, the master French artist of Impressionism, owned a small beautiful garden in his later years. Besides the well-known water lilies, Monet also planted plenty of agapanthuses in his garden.

Between 1914 to 1926, Monet painted a piece titled “Agapanthus” that is considered one of the most famous works of the last stage of his artistic career.

Agapanthus is called the “flower of love” in Southern Africa, and just as its flower language suggests, Monet lived with his wife and children in his twilight years and expressed a great love to his beloved ones through his tenacious will to stay vital.

Agapanthus (circa 1914 – circa 1926) Claude Monet

The dynamic movement of agapanthus in the wind is artistically captured with blue-violet brushes, displaying Monet’s beautiful visions for romantic and family love. Yet, the omnipresent cyan tone sets a timeless sense of melancholy to the art piece, making one immediately sympathize with the master in old age.

Can I Grow Agapanthus Well?

Agapanthus is strongly vital. Wild agapanthus can survive in barren soils. To enjoy the blue-violet sight at home, you don’t need to invest a lot of time or work; just meet its needs for proper light, soil, and water conditions, and it will flourish.

Agapanthus likes ample sunlight. In winter and spring, make sure it gets sufficient light duration, while in summer, it needs some shade and good ventilation.

Agapanthus likes humus-rich soil with good drainage. Watering it once a day in summer and once a month in winter will suffice.

It generally doesn’t need pruning. Just remove the dried leaves from the plant’s base from time to time, and deadhead the spent flowers after blooming.

Size: 50-100 cm (1.6-3.2 ft) tall

Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11

Light Duration: Full light to half shad

Soil: Fertile, moist, with good drainage

Blooming Time: Summer