Agapanthus praecox subsp. minimus

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>.

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 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>

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Common name

dwarf agapanthus

Family

Alliaceae

Authority

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

Flora category

Vascular – Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Monocots

Brief 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.

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.

Flowering

Dec-March

Flower colours

Blue

Life cycle

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

Propagation technique

Clump division; seed

Year naturalised

2010

Origin

South Africa

Reason for introduction

Ornamental

Etymology

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

minimus: Smallest (rather a misnomer)

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