Agapanthus africanus - African Lily

Famille: Alliaceae, Genre: Agapanthus
Bulbe à feuilles persistantes (1m de haut par 0.5m de large).

Habitat

Exposition
Plein soleil ou mi-ombre
Vent
Tolère un peu de vent
Humidité
Humidité moyenne.
Sol
Sol léger à moyen. Nécessite un sol drainant.
pH
Sol acide ou calcaire
Rusticité
Zone 9
Habitat originel
Upper slopes of Table mountain and the southern mountains[73].
Origine géographique
S. Africa.

Usages médicinaux

  • Cardiac, stomachic [61].

Culture

  • Succeed in most soils[175], but prefers a light very well-drained porous soil with plenty of leaf-mold [1, 200].
  • Plants need to be kept moderately dry during the growing season but with moisture in winter [1].
  • They only flower freely if growing in a very sunny position [175].
  • Plants succeed in maritime gardens [233].
  • This species is not very hardy in Britain[1], but some forms of the plant tolerate several degrees of frost [200].
  • They are best given a good mulch if temperatures lower than 0°c occur [200].
  • Plants are growing well at the foot of a wall in Cambridge Botanical Gardens [K].
  • Hybridizes very freely with other members of this genus, some botanists say there is only one very variable species of Agapanthus [200].
  • Les plantes ne semblent pas attaquées par les lapins [233].
  • The flowering stems lean towards the sun [175].

Propagation

  • Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[200], it can also be sown in a greenhouse in March/April [133].
  • The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 18°c[133], do not sow it too thickly so that it is possible to grow the seedlings on in their pot without disturbing them for their first year of growth .
  • Give occasional liquid feeds to make sure they do not become nutrient deficient .
  • Divide the seedlings up into individual pots in the spring following germination, grow them on for a further year in the greenhouse and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer .
  • Seedlings take 2 - 3 years to flower [133].
  • Division of offsets in April/May .
  • Do not move plants between October and March [175].
  • Division is very easy in the growing season, the divisions can be planed straight out into their permanent positions if required .

Calendrier

En fleur
7 - 9
En feuille
1 - 12

Pollinisation

Type de fleur
Hermaphrodite (les fleurs ont des organes mâles et femelles)
Auto-fertile
Oui

Divers

Pollution
Non
Autres réferences
[73, 200]

Réferences

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 1951.
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. 1974.
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[73] Adamson. and Salter. Flora of the Cape Peninsula.
A good flora but rather short on details of habitat. Not for the casual reader.
[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. 1987.
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') 1991.
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants 1990.
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

Laissez un commentaire concernant "Agapanthus africanus - African Lily"