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How to grow agapanthus and best varieties
Agapanthus have the sort of relaxed glamour that evokes memories of summer holidays. Discover our best agapanthus varieties and tips for how to grow them
Ceri studied horticulture at the University of Reading and RHS Wisley. She edits Which? Gardening magazine and our online gardening content.
Agapanthus, or African lilies, are beautiful plants for a sunny borders and pots.
They flower in summer and like well-drained soil. The deciduous kinds that lose their leaves in the autumn are hardier than evergreen ones so we recommend you grow these if you're in a colder area.
Which? Gardening magazine grew a range of popular varieties of both tall and dwarf agapanthus to see which would give us the best display.
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Key facts
- Plant type - Tender perennial
- Position - Partial shade
- Soil - Best Buy compost for containers
How to grow agapanthus: month by month
| January | February | March | April | May | June |
| PLANT | PLANT/DIVIDE | PLANT | |||
| July | August | September | October | November | December |
| FLOWERING | FLOWERING | MULCH |
Planting agapanthus
Buy 1-2L-sized plants if possible. Plants in 9cm pots should be grown on in larger pots and protected in winter before planting out.
Plant in spring so they establish before cold weather sets in. Position in well-drained soil in full sun.
Help your plants with our recommended soil improvers
Best agapanthus varieties
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Full testing results for agapanthus
Tall agapanthus
| Variety name | Overall rating | Flower duration | Flower impact | Flower head | Flower amount | Plant vigour | Attractiveness to bees | Pest & disease resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Blue Moon' | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | |||||||
| 'Bressingham Blue' | ||||||||
| 'Brilliant Blue' | ||||||||
| 'Castle of Mey' | ||||||||
| 'Indigo Dreams' | ||||||||
| 'Midnight Star' | ||||||||
| 'Northern Star' | ||||||||
| 'Sandringham' | ||||||||
| 'Sky' | ||||||||
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The more stars the better. OVERALL RATING Based on: flower duration 20%, flower impact 20%, flower head 10%, flower amount 20%, plant vigour 10%, attractiveness to bees 10%, pest and disease resistance 10%. Ratings are taken from the second year of the trial. Height x spread are actual measurements taken in the second year of the trial and are likely to be less than for more mature plants. Flower head rating relates to their shape and how full of bloom they were. Flower amount relates to the number of flower heads produced and combines with vigour, relating to the growth of the plants, as a measurement of how well they established within the two years of the trial.
Dwarf agapanthus
| Variety name | Overall rating | Flowering duration: north | Flowering duration: south | Flower impact | Shape | Display | Vigour | Pests & diseases | Bee & insect attraction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Bluestorm' | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | ||||||||
| 'Bridal Bouquet' | |||||||||
| 'Brilliant Blue' | |||||||||
| 'Castle of Mey' | |||||||||
| 'Charlotte' | |||||||||
| 'Lapis Lazuli' | |||||||||
| 'Midnight Dream' | |||||||||
| 'Sweet Surprise' | |||||||||
| 'Twister' | |||||||||
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations.
Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time
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The more stars the better. SCORE Ignores prices and is based on flowering duration 20%; flower impact 20%; flower amount 20%, bee and insect attraction 10%; pests and diseases 10%; shape of plant 10%; and vigour 10%
How we test agapanthus
Tall agapanthus
We chose 22 varieties of taller agapanthus (60cm plus) in a range of shades and flower-head forms.
In spring, we planted three plants of each variety at our Capel Manor trial garden in north London and at Ness Botanic gardens, on the Wirral Peninsula, in Cheshire to test their hardiness.
We grew and assessed the agapanthus during two growing seasons.
Unfortunately, the plants at Ness Botanic got infected with agapanthus gall midge. The flowering stems had to be destroyed to control the infection, so here we have based our recommendations on plants grown at our southern trial beds.
Dwarf agapanthus
We chose 23 varieties of dwarf agapanthus; a mixture of more hardy deciduous varieties and more tender evergreen ones. All varieties were expected to grow no taller than 70cm.
In spring, we planted three plants of each variety at our Capel Manor trial garden in north London and at Greenbank Garden on the outskirts of Glasgow to test their hardiness.
We grew and assessed our dwarf agapanthus through two growing seasons. In autumn, the plants were mulched with a thick layer of dry material to increase their chances of surviving winter.
Growing agapanthus
Watering
Deciduous types grow in summer, so don’t let them dry out in spells of dry weather as this will affect flowering the following year.
Learn about our best garden irrigation systems
Protect plants from winter cold
Mulch plants with a layer of straw or fleece in late autumn to protect them from cold winter weather. Established plants should cope with colder conditions, but in very cold areas, mulching may improve flowering the following year.
Try the best frost protective covers
Growing agapanthus in pots
Agapanthus can grow well in large pots. This is a useful way of growing them in colder areas, as it allow you to bring plants indoors to a cold greenhouse over winter.
Use a Best Buy compost for containers and mix in a Best Buy controlled-release feed. Remove the top few centimetres of old compost each spring and replace with fresh compost and feed.
Water regularly and feed with high potash feed, such as tomato feed, during the growing season.
Repot regularly to the next size up, as restricted roots lead to fewer flowers, not better flowering, as is often said.
Make things easier with the best watering cans
When to divide agapanthus
Congested clumps can be divided and replanted in spring. This is also a good way of propagating to make new plants. Dig up the clump and split it apart or cut into pieces with an old knife. Each piece needs to have roots and shoots. Replant the pieces straight away - any spares can be given away to family and friends.
Common agapanthus growing problems
Agapanthus gall midge
This is a relatively new pest to the UK. The larvae attack flower buds leading to distortion and discolouration, and can be seen inside the bud. There are no chemical controls, but picking off the flower buds may help to reduce future damage.
Poor flowering
This is often down to the location – if there’s too much shade or temperatures are too low – so move to a sunnier spot.