Agapanthus

The name Agapanthus comes from the Greek agap, meaning love, andanthos, meaning flower, translating broadly as the flower of love.

Agapanthus is also commonly known as the Lily of the Nile, African Blue Lily, and African Lily. The genus, Agapanthus includes about 10 species. Agapanthus flowers bloom in large, round clusters or umbels of blue, white or violet-blue. The funnel shaped Agapanthus flowers grow at the end of a thick 2 to 4 foot tall stem. The Agapanthus clusters measure about 6 to 8 inches across.

Kingdom

Plantae

Division

Magnoliophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Asparagales

Family

Alliaceae

Genus

Agapanthus

Agapanthus plants are native to South Africa, spreading across the Western Cape through to the Eastern Cape. Agapanthus grows in the shade of trees to get protection from the hot sun.

The Agapanthus africanus' anthers, like the petals, are bluish because the pollen is lilac in color. Agapanthus africanus shares this characteristic withAgapanthus caulescens and Agapanthus coddii. Bees visit and pollinate the Agapanthus flowers. The Agapanthus seeds are dispersed by wind. Agapanthus africanus are lily-like blooms and come in clusters made up of many bell-shaped flowers. The Agapanthus clusters are globe-shaped or pendular. Agapanthus flowers are in various shades of blue, from a dusky, powder blue to an almost indigo-purple, but there are some white varieties as well.

Facts About Agapanthus

• Agapanthus is a showy, widely grown plant for its exotic blue or white flowers that bloom from late spring until the beginning of autumn, depending on the species.
• The perennial Agapanthus grows from an underground rhizome each year.
• The tender Agapanthus africanus species is evergreen while the hardier Agapanthus campanulatus species, coming from moister, mountain grasslands, have slightly smaller flowers and die down during winter and re-emerge again the following spring.
• Agapanthus is suspected for causing hemolytic poisoning in humans, and the sap causes severe ulceration of the mouth.
• Agapanthus contains several saponins and sapogenins that generally have anti-inflammatory (reduce swelling and inflammation), anti-oedema (oedema - swelling due to accumulation of fluid), antitussive (relieve or suppress coughing) and immunoregulatory (have influence on the immune system) properties.