Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis African Lily, Blue Lily, Lily of the Nile

There is some controversy about the number of species of Agapanthus, depending on the source this can vary from six to ten. And in spite of the various common names (African Lily, Lily of the Nile, Blue Lily), Agapanthus isn’t a lily at all, that is, not in the family Liliaceae, nor does it come from anywhere near the Nile. In fact, all Agapanthus species come from South Africa, between the Limpopo River (‘all set about with Fever Trees’) and the Cape of Good Hope. Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis, the most commonly grown species, comes from the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal1.

Amaryllidaceae – Liliaceae Ovary sits below the petals Ovary sits above the petals

The genus Agapanthus has been placed in the Amaryllidaceae family which includes Daffodils, Nerines and Naked Ladies, although some consider it may sit better in its own family, the Agapanthaceae, or even with garlic and onions in the Alliaceae2.

Flowers of Amaryllidaceae typically have the petals attached above the ovary; those of lilies (Liliaceae) have the petals attached below the ovary.

In Sydney the blue and white flowers of Agapanthus signal the approach of summer and Christmas festivities. Agapanthus flowers are loved by some, loathed by others. In recent years, Agapanthus has yet again become a fashionable garden plant. Agapanthus sets seed readily and is an invasive weed in the Blue Mountains, on Lord Howe Island and in parts of Victoria and Western Australia. If you live near bushland and grow Agapanthus in your garden, local councils and bushland regenerators will be appreciative if you remove old flower heads before they have a chance to set seed.

1Alice Notten, Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens, 2004. South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/agapanpraecox.htm 2Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agapanthus Map showing distribution in South Africa modified from Red List of South African Plants: http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=481-18

Alison Downing, Kevin Downing & Brian Atwell, 9.12.2013 Department of Biological Sciences

Beware of the Agapanthus! Do Not Run!