Agapanthus

Adam Fikso adam14113@ameritech.net
Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:23:51 PDT
In the colder areas, Zones 7, 6, 5, 4,  with average minimums at zero F and 
below, all the evergreen varieties die. The deciduous varieties are tougher. 
What's being shared here is going to lead me to plant a few more out with my 
crinums that have gone through zero F° (-17.8 C) and risk a few duplicates 
that have been cosseted indoors in winter. I think I have the Wayside clone 
that Ellen mentions,  and it will now get divided and a piece set out next 
to the house. It just finished blooming in a 5 gal pot after being indoors 
under insufficient light.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Sue Ittner" <msittner@mcn.org>
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2010 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [pbs] Agapanthus


> Hi,
>
> It's important to remember that some Agapanthus are deciduous and
> some evergreen. Most are from summer rainfall areas and a few from
> winter rainfall areas. Species growing in the southwest Cape are no
> doubt in the ancestry of most of  the plants growing in California.
> They are evergreen, winter rainfall. They are often planted and
> generally easy to grow and bloom in California  (if not eaten by the
> deer) and perhaps for some of us a bit boring for that reason. I am
> sure these evergreen hybrids and species we grow in California
> wouldn't be hardy as even in a colder than usual winter here the
> leaves get all mushy. On the other hand on our trip to South Africa
> in January we saw species blooming in the Drakensberg Mountains
> (summer rainfall) where it gets quite cold in winter.  It was hard
> not to be impressed with many of them because looking at them often
> included a lovely view of land below. These species would be unlikely
> to thrive in California, especially if not watered in summer when it
> is dry. I have an unknown deciduous species that each year appears in
> early summer but never blooms although the friend who gave it to me
> has a better watered and warmer summer garden and hers bloom. So once
> again it is helpful to learn more about where the plant is found in
> the wild to see if you can create the conditions that will keep it
> happy. We also saw a species growing with Cyrtanthus in a lower
> elevation area in the Eastern Cape where they were growing on what
> looked like a rock cliff face, impossible to get close enough for  a
> good photo. It would be impossible to recreate those kind of
> conditions. Obviously attention to drainage would be critical.
>
> Linda, you would probably have more luck with a summer rainfall
> species from a high elevation. Agapanthus africanus is a winter
> rainfall plant that blooms best in the wild after fires. It's the one
> I expect that is a parent of the ones we grow in California left in
> the ground year round.
>
> Cameron McMaster who is a member of our list collects and sell seeds.
> He'd be a good resource I'd think as he could give you information
> about where the seed was collected and he really knows the Eastern
> Cape as many of us can testify. Some of the species occur over a
> broad range of habitats and elevations so where they were collected
> could make a difference in their hardiness.
>
> Mary Sue
>
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