This page shows an overview of all the species of Agapanthus in the wiki. For information on the genus and links to the single species and hybrid pages see Agapanthus. For an overview of hybrids and cultivars see Agapanthus hybrids.
Agapanthus africanus (L.) Hoffmanns. is an evergreen plant with strap-shaped leaves found on rocky sandstone slopes, mostly montane in areas from the Cape Peninsula to Swellendam. It has navy blue flowers, grows 25-70 cm high, and rarely blooms in the wild unless there is a fire. Plants grown in cultivation in the United States under this name are usually hybrids or forms of Agapanthus praecox. Stamens are shorter than the tepals. Photos from Cameron McMaster of wild plants growing near Napier in the Overberg.
Agapanthus campanulatus F.M.Leight. is found in moist grassland, on rocky hillsides from the Eastern Cape to the Northern province. Growing to 70 cm, this species is deciduous, grows in colonies, and has light to dark blue flowers with darker blue stripes. Tepal lobes are spreading. It blooms summer to fall, December to March. Photos by Cameron McMaster. The last three were taken in Maclear.
Agapanthus inapertus P.Beauv. is a deciduous species occurring naturally in open grassland and on forest margins in Mpumalanga, northern KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Northern Province, South Africa, Eswatini, and Mozambique. Growing to 1.5 m, this species is noted for its strongly tubular pendulous flowers, typically deep blue with some cultivars reaching an almost navy blue intensity. Although it is dormant in winter, it tolerates dry and wet conditions during that time. There are four subspecies: Agapanthus inapertus ssp. inapertus, Agapanthus inapertus ssp. intermedius F.M.Leight., Agapanthus inapertus ssp. parviflorus F.M.Leight., and Agapanthus inapertus ssp. pendulus (L.Bolus) F.M.Leight. More information about this species can be found on this link to the South African National Biodiversity Institute's web page. The photo was taken by Jamie Vande who reported his plants had handled freezing temperatures to -8 °C without a problem.
Agapanthus inapertus subsp. pendulus'Graskop' is a cultivar with a compact head of drooping, dark violet blue flowers. More info on this most amazing cultivar can be found at link. The photo from Rogan Roth was taken in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town.
Agapanthus praecox Willd. is an evergreen plant from the southeastern Cape growing in stony slopes and grassland from the southeastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It grows 60-70 cm tall and has white to medium blue flowers with stamens as long as the tepals. The first three photos taken by Cameron McMaster in the Eastern Cape. Photos 4-6 below taken by Cameron McMaster and Bob Rutemoeller of a wild population at Satansnek Pass in the Eastern Cape. Plants were blooming with Crocosmia masoniorum.
Photo 1-4 from Mary Sue Ittner. The first was taken at Glen Avon where it was growing high on the rocks with a cyrtanthus species January 2010. Photos 2-4 were taken at Gaika's Kop January 2010. Photos 5-6 taken by Christopher Whitehouse January 2012 also at Gaika's Kop.
Photo below by Paul Tyerman of a plant in Australia that was labeled Agapanthus africanus but is likely to be A. praecox instead or a hybrid.
