Agapanthus praecox subsp. minimus
Environmental Weed (2024)
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
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.