Agapanthus praecox ssp. orientalis Tall White - 5 Seed Pack - Indigenous Perennial Bulb

Agapanthus praecox ssp. orientalis Tall White Seeds

Lily of the Nile

Agapanthus is a genus of herbaceous perennial bulbs that mostly bloom in summer. Agapanthus is collectively commonly known as "Lily of the Nile", but it is not a lily and all of the species are indigenous to South Africa from the Cape to the Limpopo River. Species boundaries are not clear in the genus, and in spite of having been intensively studied, the number of species recognized by different authorities varies from 6 to 10. The type species for the genus is Agapanthus africanus. A great many hybrids and cultivars have been produced and they are cultivated throughout warm areas of the world. Agapanthus can be grown within plant hardiness zones 9 to 11. In lower-numbered zones, the bulbs should be placed deeper in the soil and mulched well in autumn. Agapanthus can be propagated by dividing the bulbs or by seeds. The seeds of most varieties are fertile. Agapanthus is one of South Africa’s best known garden plants and is grown in most countries in the world. Their strap-like leaves and striking blue or white flowers make them favorites in borders as well as in containers. Agapanthus praecox ssp. orientalis Tall White occurs in Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal and is also generally 0.8 to 1 m tall and flowers in mid to late summer (December - February). It is distinguished from subsp. praecox by its shorter perianth segments (less than 50 mm), and it has more leaves (up to 20 per plant) which are not leathery and have an arching habit. It differs from subsp. minimus by having a denser inflorescence, the whole plant is larger and it forms thick clumps. Flowers are open-faced and pure white.