How to Grow Agapanthus

Agapanthus is a general name used to describe several species of plants in the Agapanthus genus. The most common Agapanthus in Australia is Agapanthus orientalis, which is an evergreen type, and comes in a wide range of colours and sizes. There are also deciduous types, including Agapanthus campanulatus, which become dormant in winter.

Some of the most popular Agapanthus varieties include:

• Queen Mum - growing to 1.5 m tall, this large variety has very pretty bi-colour white and blue flowers.
• Black Pantha - a tall variety with very dark purple, almost black, flowers.
• Blue Thunder - a compact deep blue Agapanthus, growing to 50 cm tall.
• Peter Pan - a light blue variety that grows to 45 cm tall.
• Snowball - a compact variety with white flowers that grows to 60 cm tall.
• Streamline - petals of this variety are light blue with a darker blue stripe.
• Tinkerbell - a medium sized variety with variegated green and white leaves and delicate light blue flowers.

Choose a warm spot in the garden that gets full sun (at least six hours of direct sunlight a day) to part shade and has well-drained soil. Evergreen varieties need a frost-free position. Deciduous varieties are best for frosty cooler climates.

Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots. Enrich and improve the soil in the planting hole with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. It's rich in organic matter to improve the health of the soil. If the soil is heavy clay, add Yates Gypsum Clay Breaker Soil Improver Granules and fork in well.

Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down. Form a raised or doughnut shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed. Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes.

Keep the soil moist as the plant establishes. Applying a layer of mulch, like Yates Dynamic Lifter 4 in 1 Mulch, around the root zone will help retain soil moisture.

To promote healthy leaf growth and lots of flowers, feed Agapanthus plants every six to 8 weeks from spring to autumn with Yates Dynamic Lifter Roses & Flowers Plant Food Pellets.

Regularly remove spent flower stems before they have a chance to set seed and dispose of in the bin. Many Agapanthus can spread easily by seed and become a weed, so it's important to prevent this occurring.

Choose a pot that is at least twice the width of the root ball of the selected plant. Large varieties of Agapanthus will need a bigger pot than the compact types. Dwarf varieties are ideal for growing in pots. Position the pot in spot that receives full sun to part shade.

Choose a quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. Part fill your chosen pot with potting mix. Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots. Place the root ball on the potting mix and backfill around the roots with more potting mix. The final level of mix should be the same as the level currently around the plant. Water in well to settle the potting mix around the roots.

Keep the potting mix moist while the Agapanthus establishes.

Water potted plants thoroughly, two or three times a week, depending on weather conditions. From spring to autumn, feed every one to two weeks with a potassium rich liquid fertiliser like Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food.

Agapanthus flowers can develop dozens of seeds. Regularly remove spent flower stems, before they have a chance to set seed, and dispose of in the bin. Many Agapanthus can spread easily by seed and become a weed, so it's important to prevent this occurring.

Agapanthus will grow well in a spot that receives full sun or partial shade all day. Plants growing in shadier conditions may have fewer flowers. For more flowers, grow Agapanthus in a sunnier spot.

To keep the plant looking its best, remove any damaged or yellow leaves, as well as the flower stems (before that have set seed). Otherwise, no pruning or cutting back is required.

Agapanthus can be easily propagated through division (dividing up the clump) in autumn by carefully digging it up from the ground or removing it from the pot. Gently shake off some of the soil or potting mix so that you can see the roots and the individual plants. Carefully pull the individual plants apart, making sure that each one retains its own roots. Congested clumps may require dividing with a sharp spade. Do not break them into too many pieces as some may not have enough roots to survive on their own.

After several years, clumps of Agapanthus can become overcrowded. Plant health can suffer and flowering reduces. Every few years dig up the clump and divide it into smaller groups for replanting.

Established evergreen Agapanthus can withstand very mild frosts and will only suffer minor damage. However harsher frosts will decimate plants, causing leaves to wither and die. In cold climates, grow deciduous Agapanthus, or grow potted Agapanthus and move the pot to a warm protected spot during winter.

Agapanthus have fleshy, glossy, sap-filled leaves, so they are slower to burn.

Agapanthus are hardy plants, that will tolerate dry conditions. Plants will be healthier when kept moist but can survive dry conditions.

To promote healthy leaves and the best flower show, a complete fertiliser that's rich in flower-promoting potassium is ideal. For Agapanthus grown in the garden, feed plants every six to 8 weeks from spring to autumn with Yates Dynamic Lifter Roses & Flowers Plant Food Pellets. For potted Agapanthus, from spring to autumn, feed every one to two weeks with Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food.

All parts of Agapanthus plants should be considered toxic and may cause gastrointestinal problems if ingested or the sap may cause skin and eye irritation. Do not allow pets or children to eat Agapanthus plants or be exposed to the sap.

Some types of Agapanthus, in some areas, are considered to be a weed. It is important that gardeners don't allow their plants to set seed and spread or dispose of Agapanthus in bushland. Remove spent flower heads to remove the risk of self-seeding. Many of the new varieties of Agapanthus are sterile or set lower numbers of seed.

The dense leaves of Agapanthus create a protected environment for Snails and Slugs. They can damage the Agapanthus itself or hide amongst the foliage during the day and at night emerge to damage surrounding plants. To control Snails and Slugs, lightly sprinkle Yates Snail & Slug Bait around the base of the plants. 

Plants growing in heavy shade may fail to flower. Grow Agapanthus in a spot that receives at least partial sun all day or full sun. Congested clumps of Agapanthus should be divided, which can help improve flowering. And feeding Agapanthus regularly, with a high potassium fertiliser like Yates Dynamic Lifter Roses & Flowers Plant Food Pellets, can also help promote flowering.