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Herbaceous Perennial

Agapanthus inapertus subsp. pendulus

drooping closed African lily

A herbaceous perennial with upright, deciduous, green leaves, 70cm long and 2-3cm wide, and erect stems, 90-180cm high, carrying flowerheads 10cm across of about forty hanging flowers which are up to 4cm long, barely open at the mouth, and usually very dark blue or purplish blue, but may also be pale violet-blue or white, from late summer to early autumn

Synonyms

Agapanthus pendulus
Agapanthus penduliflorus

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–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 GB / Ireland: 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: S Africa

How to grow

Cultivation

In milder areas, grow outside in moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in full sun, in a sheltered position such as a south-facing or west-facing wall, and provide winter protection with a dry mulch; in colder areas, grow in containers in a peat-free, loam-based compost, 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 division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Patio and container plants
Mediterranean climate plants
Flower borders and beds
Cut flowers
Wall side borders

Pruning

No pruning required except cutting back dead flower stems, but allow them to remain until spring, because the seedheads look attractive over winter

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails and agapanthus gall midge

Diseases

May be susceptible to a virus

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