Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Agapanthus africanus

African Lily · Agapanthus · Blue Lily · Lily of the Nile

Family AmaryllidaceaeGenus Agapanthus

A deep violet-blue flower head on a bare stem among grasses and rock
FlowerNick HelmeCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
Pale blue, deep blueWikipedia
Native range
Cape ProvincesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Called lily of the Nile, though it grows wild only on sandstone slopes of the fynbos, from the Cape Peninsula to Swellendam. It flowers particularly after fire. Wikipedia: Agapanthus africanus

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

100% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Agapanthus p. 89Public domain
Show the original text
Agapanthus (Liliaceae). A. africanus germ. 70(100% in 2nd w) and 40(60% in 5-12 w)-70(13%).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Agapanthus p. 89. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 11, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    A further 13% germinated after the shift to 70.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 84 days.

60% germination in 35–84 days.

Sowing straight at 70 is both faster and complete.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Agapanthus p. 89Public domain
Show the original text
Agapanthus (Liliaceae). A. africanus germ. 70(100% in 2nd w) and 40(60% in 5-12 w)-70(13%).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Agapanthus p. 89. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

Add to My Garden

View species page