Agapanthus campanulatus Seeds - Bell Agapanthus or Bloulelie

A dainty deciduous agapanthus from the Drakensberg, this is a good choice for gardeners in cold areas who struggle to grow evergreen agapanthus.

Description

Agapanthus campanulatus is deciduous, growing in spring - summer and dormant during winter. It is a clump-forming perennial, growing 0.4 to 1 m tall. The slender, glossy green or greyish-green, strap-like leaves narrow to a distinct purplish stem-like base and it produces 6-12 leaves per plant. Umbels of 10 to 30, pale to deep blue flowers with a darker blue stripe are presented on a long flower stalk in mid- to late summer (Dec-Mar). Look closely at the flowers and you'll notice that the anthers are bluish as well, this is because the pollen is lilac in colour – a characteristic it shares with A. caulescens and A. coddii. The fruit is a capsule containing many flat, black, winged seeds. Plants that have been in cultivation for some time tend to increase in size when compared to wild relatives.

Distribution

The bell agapanthus is found growing in colonies in moist grassland, moist slopes, valley bottoms, drainage lines, damp cliffs and on rocky slopes up to 2400 m in the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Agapanthus campanulatus subspecies campanulatus is found at lower altitudes in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal and in the Eastern Cape and the Free State.

Derivation of the name & historical aspects

Agapanthus is endemic to southern Africa, i.e. until people transported them elsewhere they did not occur outside of southern Africa. It consists of six variable species that are widespread in all the provinces of South Africa except for the Northern Cape, and in Lesotho and Swaziland but not in Namibia or Botswana. There are two evergreen species: A. africanusand A. praecox and four deciduous species: A. campanulatus, A.caulescens, A. coddii and A. inapertus.

The name Agapanthus is derived from the Greek agapé love and anthos , flower. There is no clear reason for this derivation although it could be interpreted as 'lovely flower' or 'flower of love'. Agapeo means 'to be contented with' which is a possible derivation, i.e. 'flower with which I am well pleased'. Agapanthus campanulatus is named for its campanulate or bell-shaped flowers. The name of the subspecies patens means spreading, referring to the widely spreading tepal lobes.

Agapanthus has attracted a few common names over the years. In its first publication in Europe in 1679 it was called the African hyacinth. Linnaeus called it the African lily, and nowadays in Europe and America it is still known as the African lily, but also rather geographically off the mark as lily of the Nile. In South Africa they are commonly called agapanthus or bloulelie.

Uses & cultural aspects

Agapanthus campanulatus roots are crushed and made into a lotion that is used to bathe newborn babies to make them strong, and the leaves are used to wash young babies. It is also used to treat ‘cradle cap' and as a protective charm against lightning.