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  4. Agapanthus praecox subsp. minimus

Agapanthus praecox subsp. minimus

Planted specimen, St Hill St, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 16/12/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Flowering and self-seeding into a gravel garden, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 20/10/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Planted row, St Hill St, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 16/12/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Planted row, St Hill St, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 16/12/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Planted specimen, St Hill St, Whanganui.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 16/12/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Seedlings in mown street berm lawn, below a rock wall with planted specimens; Wilson St, Hawera.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 04/08/2010, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Environmental Weed

Environmental Weed (2024)

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Common names

dwarf agapanthus

Biostatus

Exotic

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Monocots

Simplified description

Clump-forming perennial. Strap-like leaves shorter than in subsp. praecox, leathery, arching, arising from base in clumps up to 20, sap watery. Flowers smaller and paler than in subsp. orientalis, in many-flowered umbrella-shaped clusters (Oct)-Dec-March, and it appears to flower over a longer period of the year.

Flower colours

Blue

Habitat

Similar to A. praecox subsp. praecox but, to date, much less invasive in NZ. Drought tolerant, best flowering in full sun. Is proving popular with gardeners for its smaller and ‘tidier’ growth habits than subsp. praecox.

Conservation status

Not applicable

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Alliaceae

Authority

Agapanthus praecox subsp. minimus (Lindl.) F.M.Leight

Ecology

Flowering

Dec-March

Year naturalised

2010

Origin

South Africa

Reason for introduction

Ornamental

Life cycle and dispersal

Spreads from planted specimens, but as at 2016, rather sparingly

Propagation technique

Clump division; seed

Other information

Etymology

agapanthus: From the Greek agape, meaning ‘love’, and anthos, meaning ‘flower’, translating broadly as the flower of love.

minimus: Smallest (rather a misnomer)

Environmental Weed (2024)

This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.

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