07 Dec Agapanthus
Agapanthus spp.
This is a popular garden plant that needs active management in all gardens. This may be as simple as actively removing spent flower stalks prior to seed set, or as comprehensive as complete removal from gardens.
Family: Alliaceae
Origin: Africa
Habit: An erect fleshy, clumping, perennial lily with long strappy leaves.
Leaves: Long (up to 700mm), strap-like, glossy bright green, fleshy.
Flowers: Small (30mm) trumpet shaped blue or white flowers that form large spherical clusters (umbels) at the end of long (1200mm) smooth tubular stalks. Very showy floral display in Summer.
Fruit: Three-sided leathery green capsules form in clusters at the end of stalks, drying brown and papery when mature.
Contain numerous winged, small black seeds.
Roots: Shallow, fleshy, densely matted and quite robust.
Dispersal: Seed and tubers spread by water, wind, humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.
Control: Hand pull/dig, bagging all plant parts and removing from site. Foliar spray, Cut and Paint.
