Agapanthus Flowers

Blue Agapanthus Flowers

Name : Agapanthus Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Agapanthus, (Agapanthus africanus)
Agapanthus Description

Agapanthus is a beautiful flower that originates from South Africa. Agapanthus occurs only in areas where the rainfall is more than 500 mm per annum, from sea level to 2 000 m. Agapanthus exists naturally only in South Africa, everywhere else that you may come across this majestic flower, it has been cultivated by man. The genus, Agapanthus comprises of about 10 species of showy perennials in the onion family (Alliaceae)

Agapanthus is commonly known as Lily of the Nile, African Blue Lily, and African Lily.

Agapanthus flowers bloom in beautiful, large, round clusters or umbels in shades of blue, white or violet- blue that make this a wonderful addition to any garden. The funnel shaped blossoms grow at the end of a leafless stem which is 2 to 4 foot tall. Agapanthus clusters measure about 6 to 8 inches in diameter .The roots of the Agapanthus are large and fleshy, and the leaves are strap like, arising directly from the roots.

Agapanthus is used in borders and for ground cover, it is often grown in tubs and urns on terraces and steps where it adds life and colour to stone. Agapanthus is available mainly during the summer but some varieties are available as early as April and as late as December.

Agapanthus is fairly easy to grow and it does well even in the poorest of soils, but it does need to receive some water in the summer. Propagation for the plant is by seed or by division. Agapanthus plants hybridize freely with each other, and are all in flower at the same time; therefore, you will find that there will be hybrids from the seed you originally harvested.

Agapanthus are also famous for harbouring snails, though the snails do not cause any damage to the plants themselves, the best way to deal with this is to remove the snails manually or to keep ducks.

Different varieties include Agapanthus praecox, Agapanthus praecox subsp. Minimus and Agapanthus praecox subsp. Orientalis.

The majestic Agapanthus are available in a variety of colours ranging from white to lilac, and all shades fo blue imaginable, from pale blue to deep blue.

Agapanthus are excellent cut flowers and look great as focal points in an arrangement. The pale blue or purple varieties add a touch of fantasy to a bouquet or tabel centrepiece. Agapanthus flowers should be bought when one third of the flower buds in a cluster are opened. The dried seed heads can also be used in flower arrangements, adding texture and variety to the bouquet.

Agapanthus flowers have a long vase life. The flower buds take about 4-6 days to open, and once completely opened, each flower can look fresh in a vase for 7-14 days.

Agapanthus Meaning

“Agapanthus” is a combination of the Greek words “agap”, meaning love, and “anthos”, meaning flower, translating broadly as The Flower of Love. That is why this flower is considered to be the symbol of Love.

Moreover, “Agapeo” means 'to be contented with', hence a possible derivation ‘flower with which I am well pleased.'

The specific names given to different Agapanthus varieties have interesting meanings:

“Praecox” means early, premature or unseasonable in Latin, and was possibly given this name because compared to the other species it is an early flowerer.
“Minimus” means smallest, which it is according to its size.
“Orientalis” means “of the east”, which is probably a case of mistaken origin. In the old times, the common route for ships carrying the new plant material back to Europe was from the East via the Cape, and some of the botanists assumed that all the plants on board came from the East.
Agapanthus Mythology

In Africa, Agapanthus is considered to be both a magical and a medicinal plant. Natives consider it to be the flower of Fertility and Pregnancy.

Xhosa women use the roots to make antenatal medicine, and the roots are also used to make a necklace that they wear as a charm to bring healthy, strong babies.

Agapanthus is also used as a love charm and also by people afraid of thunderstorms to ward off thunder.

Agapanthus also contains several saponins and sapogenins that generally help relieve inflammation and swelling due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-oedema, antitussive and immunoregulatory properties.

Agapanthus is also suspected of causing haemolytic poisoning in humans, and its sap causes severe mouth ulceration.