African agapanthus(Agapanthus africanus), also called African lily or Nile lily, is a rhizome perennial with extraordinary beauty and beautiful inflorescences. Due to the lack of frost resistance in our climate , the cultivation of African agapanthusis successful mainly in pots, which are kept indoors for winter. We present the most beautifulvarieties of African agapanthusand explain what requirements must be met for the agapanthus to bloom beautifully and overwinter until the next year.
African Agapanthus - Agapanthus africanus
Fig. pixabay.com
African agapanthus - description of the appearance
African agapanthus, belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, comes from South Africa and came to Europe in the 18th century. Due to high thermal requirements, it is not able to winter in the ground in our climate.
Saber-shaped, up to 45 cm long,green agapanthus leavesform a rosette from which grows a leafless, up to 100 cm long inflorescence shoot. Numerous bell-shaped flowers appearing in July, set on long stalks, form a large, spherical, often slightly flattened inflorescence.Decorative African Agapanthusis an excellent honey plant that attracts insects and is beneficial for bees.
African agapanthus - application
Agapanthus planted in potslook spectacular singly or in a group. They will also look beautiful in flowerbeds accompanied by plants such as gladioli, lilies, whorl, Echinacea, yarrow, foxglove or ornamental grasses.Due to its long shelf life of up to 10 days,agapanthus is a bouquet plant valued by floristsFor cut flowers, cut the shoots when 1/4 of the flowers are fully developed.
African agapanthus - cultivation
African lily grown in containers and pots can be placed in flowerbeds together with the container. Due to its African originagapanthus requires a sunny, sheltered and warm positionThe best will be balconies and terraces with southern exposure. Agapanthus will also do well in partial shade, but this will have an impact on the inflorescence, which will be less abundant and less colored. The best agapanthus substrate is well-drained, moist, sandy loam, and rich in nutrients.
African Agapanthus - Agapanthus africanus
Fig. pixabay.com
At the end of winterplant the agapanthus rhizomes in a 5-6 liter containerand cover with a 5 cm layer of soil.In the second half of May, when the risk of frost is over, we can put the pot outside.
Watering African agapanthusshould be abundant, but at the same time be careful not to overflow the plants, because the agapanthus is very he doesn't like that. In order to prevent water stagnation, it is worth using a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot, pouring small pebbles or expanded clay, which will fulfill this task even better.
In order tokeep the soil required for agapanthus constantly moistwithout risking overflow, it is worth mixing the soil with TerraCott before planting. It contains ingredients that improve the structure of the substrate, a starting dose of fertilizers and a hydrogel that stabilizes soil moisture. After watering the plant, the hydrogel absorbs excess moisture and releases it gradually as the soil dries. As a result, the substrate is constantly moist but not excessively wet.
In winter, watering the African lily should be limitedto the necessary minimum, only taking care that the soil in the pot does not dry out completely.
To ensure lush flowering, do not forget toregularly fertilize agapanthusDuring the growing season, we feed agapanthus with fertilizer intended for flowering plants. You can also apply a slow-acting compound fertilizer, such as Osmocote Dom i Balcony, at the beginning of the growing season. Then one dose of fertilizer in the spring is enough.
African agapanthus tolerates transplanting badlyOnly when the pot becomes clearly too small, once in a few years, we perform such a procedure. The new pot should be slightly larger, not more than one size. It is a too large pot or too frequent transplanting that may be the reason for the lack of flowering of agapanthus.
African Agapanthus - Agapanthus africanus
Fig. pixabay.com
African agapanthus - wintering
Agapanthus is not hardy enoughand cannot winter outside in our climate.When the temperature drops to 10 ° C, the pots are moved to a cool and bright room, protecting them from frost.Agapanthus hibernates best at 5-8 ° CWatering should be kept to a minimum during this time. When spring comes, we first temper the plants by ventilating the room in which they are located. Then we gradually put the agapanthus outside, and after 2-3 weeks we put them on permanently until autumn.
There aretwo groups of agapanthus varieties :
- evergreen agapanthus , which during winter rest requires bright rooms, well-lit by the sun,
- Agapanthus shedding leaves for winter , which can be hibernated in the dark.
African Agapanthus - Agapanthus africanus
Fig. pixabay.com
African agapanthus - varieties
Agapanthus varieties differ in height and color of flowers , which usually have different shades of blue, purple and white.
African Agapanthus 'Alice Gloucester'- this variety drops its leaves for the winter. Reaches up to 100 cm in height and 50 cm in width. It creates dense, large and round white inflorescences.
African Agapanthus 'Ben Hope'- it is characterized by dark blue flowers appearing in late summer and shades of gray leaves. It grows up to 120 cm in height.
African agapanthus 'Donau'- grows up to 60-90 cm and has a beautiful sapphire-colored inflorescence.
African Agapanthus 'Albus'- Small flowers gathered in large white spherical inflorescences, appear in July and last until September. The plant grows up to 90 cm in height.
African Agapanthus 'Blue Triumphator'- is a variety with a large, dense inflorescence in an intense shade of blue. Reaches 100 cm in height and about 60 cm in width.
African Agapanthus 'Peter Pan'- is characterized by trumpet-shaped, light blue flowers with a dark blue stripe on each petal.
African Agapanthus 'Silver Moon'- a delightful variety with a lavender-colored inflorescence and leaves with silvery-white stripes.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
