A few weeks ago I wrote about crinums, an old southern garden stalwart that I coveted for years and finally acquired. I also mentioned another frost-tender object of horticultural desire—agapanthus or Lily of the Nile. At the time, I thought it was unlikely that an agapanthus would find its way into my garden in the near future.
I was wrong. Last week on my first trip to an exciting out-of-town nursery, an entire row of blue agapanthus danced in front of me. Their three-foot stalks were straight and proud, and their big, round umbels or flowerheads were the most beautiful shade of sky blue with just the slightest purple overtone. My mind jumped back to the day several years ago when I saw glorious half whiskey barrels full of blue agapanthus at Stonecrop, the Garden Conservancy’s headquarters in Cold Spring, NY. Dazzled by that remembered vision, I snatched up an agapanthus and headed for the check-out. Now it sits on my back porch in a faux marble urn, waiting until I find the perfect place for it in the garden.
If you have ever grown globe allium or any of the round-headed ornamental onions, you have a good idea of the appearance of the Nile lily’s flowers. Each individual flower consists of an elongated tube springing from a slender pedicel or stalk that unites with those of many other individual flowers to form a globular head at the top of each tall stem. Depending on the variety, the individual flowers may be outward facing, resembling stars when fully open, or elegantly droopy.
Agapanthus leaves are medium to dark green and basal, springing from the ground at the bottom of the flower stalks. Like many onions and some members of the amaryllis family, they are long and straplike. The foliage can be evergreen or deciduous.
The resemblance to allium is not coincidental. Agapanthus is one of the many Alliaceae or onion family members. Luckily for lovers of garden flowers, it smells nothing like an onion. This compensates, at least in part, for the fact that the flowers, which bloom in shades of blue and blue-purple, as well as white, are notable for a lack of any fragrance.
The common names—“Nile lily and” “lily-of-the-Nile”—are a bit misleading. The various species that have been bred and hybridized to create modern agapanthus cultivars are native to southern Africa, not the northeastern areas through which the Nile River flows. When the first agapanthus plants appeared in Europe in the early seventeenth century, the word “Nile” was most likely used to describe anything exotic and African. We have since freed ourselves from such imprecise descriptions of plant origins, but the Nile descriptor has stuck to the elegant agapanthus. One species, Agapanthus africanus, has a much more evocative nickname–“love flower.”
Modern agapanthus aficionados like me owe a great deal to Hon. William Palmer (1894-1971), an Englishman, who was at one time treasurer of the Royal Horticultural Society. According to Maggie Campbell-Culver’s book The Origin of Plants, Palmer pioneered agapanthus hybridizing in the mid twentieth century, introducing a series of plants known as the “Headbourne Hybrids.” Some vendors still offer Headbourne agapanthus, while others carry newer selections and hybrids from the United States, England and the Netherlands.
My agapanthus did not have a varietal name on its tag, but resembles the medium blue-purple ‘Blue Globe.’ Dark blue cultivars like ‘Midnight Blue’ or ‘Back in Black’ have also become very popular lately. For those with Vida Sackville West-like white gardens, there is Dutch-bred ‘White Heaven,’ which has extra-large flowerheads.
Like so many dramatic and beautiful plants, many agapanthus varieties are not hardy in cold winter climates. If grow tender agapanthus in a pot, either bring it indoors before the first frost and place in a sunny window, or overwinter the pot in a cold but frost-free room. In either case, water sparingly, as the plant is resting up for the summer show. Some sources describe the Headbourne hybrids as being hardy to USDA Zone 6, which means they can tolerate hard frost. If you take the chance with one of the Headbourne varieties, mulch it heavily in the late fall and try to plant it in a sunny, protected spot.
Potted or in-ground Nile lilies can be used as specimen plants or included in mixed borders. Started from bulbs, they may not bloom the first year. Once established, they will bloom from early to mid-summer onward.
Many local nurseries and garden centers now carry potted agapanthus for immediate garden gratification. If you cannot find those, order the bulbs in late winter from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, 7900 Daffodil Lane, Gloucester, VA 23061; (804) 693-3966; www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. Free catalog.
Other flowers may smell sweeter, but few are as dramatically beautiful as agapanthus. A happy one will increase in size until you have clumps to rival those at Stonecrop.