Lily-of-the-Nile, African Lily, Agapanthus— it’s a lovely tropical plant whatever you call it. The flowers resemble a cross between an allium and an amaryllis. In fact, it is a member of the Amaryllis genus. Until just recently, no agapanthus cultivar was reliably hardy in the ground below zone 7. This is starting to change, with cultivars bred for colder regions starting to come to market.
Still, if you want to grow this plant reliably in zone 6, a pot or planter is the best way to do it. Luckily agapanthus adapts readily to pots.
Agapanthus or African Lily originates from South Africa, despite its other common name, Lily-of-the-Nile. There are evergreen forms from the coastal regions and deciduous ones from the high, rocky slopes of the mountainous interior. Wild agapanthus strains now grow all over Africa and the Mediterranean, often in ditches and rocky screes where the soil is harsh but sunshine plentiful. Most hybrids are crosses between the two types, with varying degrees of hardiness.
So, used to being root-bound among the rocks of its native habitat makes agapanthus not only tolerant of containers, they thrive under conditions where many plants would wilt and give up.
Best of all, a movable specimen makes over-wintering a snap. All you need is an unheated, frost-free spot that isn’t totally dark.
Finding Agapanthus for Sale
Because these plants are not hardy perennials here, agapanthus can be a challenge to find. I got my two cultivars from a local grower with a penchant for raising tropicals. He wasn’t sure of the cultivar names, but he thought they were Little Dutch White and Little Dutch Blue. After researching, I agree they match those cultivars. Their smaller than average size just happens to be perfect for 12″ diameter pots. The flower scapes top out at 27″ tall with foliage a foot square.
Well-stocked nurseries that handle tropicals should carry agapanthus. Buy what you can find, or order from a reputable mail order supplier. There are many cultivars on the market now, and they are all lovely. The main differences will be height, color and whether they are evergreen or deciduous (doesn’t matter, since they’ll be in a pot).
African lilies come in a wide range of whites, blues and purples. Some feature bicoloring or stripes. Foliage will either be strappy like a daylily or grass-like, similar to liriope. The scapes can withstand high winds and don’t break easily, so no staking is required. If positioned next to a wall, the scapes will angle toward the sun but don’t flop.
New for Zone 6
A hardy new series named Galaxy from Walters Gardens is supposedly the first strain to reliably over-winter in the ground in zone 6. (Others have made the same claim and been proven wrong; we’ll see.) Galaxy comes in a tall white and a tall cobalt blue, as well as a shorter lavender-blue called Little Galaxy (photo above).
Galaxy White and Galaxy Blue have 36- to 40-inch scapes. I planted Galaxy Blue as a dormant corm next to my peonies. We’ll see if it performs as advertised.
photo courtesy Bluestone Perennials
Personally I would go with a short variety for potting such as Little Galaxy, Summer Love, or Little Dutch. Other suitable cultivars include Fireworks, Silver Moon and Brilliant Blue. None of these have scapes exceeding 24″ in bloom. Do your research and be sure to ask about final height.
Potting Agapanthus
If your plant isn’t already potted, use a pot that’s not much larger than the rootball (or corm); figure on a spread of eight inches the first year. You can use crockery, plastic or terra cotta as long as it has good drainage. I found that a plastic pot fitted inside a crockery one works well. I also elevate my pots on stands or blocks to prevent them from getting soggy feet.
Any good potting soil or fertile loam will suffice. Agapanthus are not particular about soil ph. Their location should get at least six hours of sun. In especially hot spots, a bit of afternoon shade is ideal. They do best in full sun but not necessarily in extremely hot conditions. That said, you can certainly try them on a sunny deck, along the drive or a walkway. You can always move them if they look unhappy.
My agapanthus get morning sun followed by mid-afternoon shade, which works well since the wall behind them reflects the heat.
Water weekly as you would any potted plant. These beauties are not water hogs and will take dryness in stride if you miss a few days.
As they get larger they will need more frequent watering, perhaps daily during July. Monthly fertilization with a balanced fertilizer in spring is beneficial, especially the second and third years.
After the flowers drop off, cut the scapes back to the basal foliage and maintain it until fall. (Move the pot to less visible position if you want.) The plant needs this slow period to build up energy for next year’s flowers. You can always add a flowering annual to the pot for ongoing interest. Agapanthus foliage stays green after flowering.
Overwinter
Light frosts are tolerated, but before the first hard frost, move your agapanthus to an unheated, frost-free location. If it is an evergreen variety it should get some light. It doesn’t have to be much; just not total darkness. Try an unheated sun porch or windowed garage.
In late October I move my agapanthus pots into our garage, which has a window. They get weak winter light there. The temperature never dips below freezing even in subzero February. I water them lightly once a month. Half the leaves turn yellow and fall off, but that’s okay. After the last hard frost, I bring them out again, clean them up and water well. No transplanting involved! Just put the pots in protected shade for the first few days until they acclimate to being outside again.
This regimen has worked well so far. My plants produced a few scapes the first year. The second and third years they did great, flowering freely from the Fourth of July into August. By their third fall they were so tightly root-bound they were threatening to crack their pots. Time to divide!
Divide
Yes, agapanthus like to be root-bound but only up to a point. You will still need to divide them every three years. This is best done immediately after flowering or in the early fall.
If the roots are jammed tight against the pot sides, free them with an old knife. Run the blade around the edge like you’re removing a layer cake from its pan. (If it’s in a plastic pot, cut it away if need be.) Dump or pry out the root ball. It will be fleshy and tangled, so don’t despair if you can’t tease it apart with your fingers. Just slice through the whole thing with a sharp spade or cleaver.
Repot
Shake out the dirt, repot in fresh soil and trim the foliage back to about 6 inches to help the plant cope with the stress of dividing. This may seem harsh, but these plants can handle rough treatment. Water well to resettle the fresh soil around them.
Initially I put mine directly into pottery, but when I realized how hard they were to get out without risking pot breakage, I wised up. Each section was repotted into plastic pots inside the pottery. Plastic “liners” also make moving easier, because you can reduce weight by lifting out the plant insert. If the roots should crack the inner container, at least you won’t lose an expensive crockery pot.
Resist the temptation to choose too big a pot. Use the next size up or the same size as before. You want to strike a balance between the roots being comfortably snug and jam-crammed in two years. Another reason is that too much space at once may shock it into not blooming, as happened to me.
Little Dutch Blue flowered beautifully this summer after dividing last fall, but Little Dutch White refused no matter how much I fertilized. Hopefully it will resume after taking a year off to sulk.
Whether in planters for the porch, patio, poolside or garden, let African lilies light up your next July with their graceful beauty. Meanwhile I will see what happens with Galaxy Blue in the garden, and update this post in a year or two.
