Herb: African Lily


Latin name: Agapanthus africanus


Synonyms: Agapanthus umbellatus


Family: Alliaceae (Onion Family)



Medicinal use of African Lily:

Cardiac, stomachic.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Bulb

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Upper slopes of Table mountain and the southern mountains.

Propagation of African Lily:

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe, it can also be sown in a greenhouse in March/April. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 18°C, do not sow it too thickly so that it is possible to grow the seedlings on in their pot without disturbing them for their first year of growth. Give occasional liquid feeds to make sure they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the seedlings up into individual pots in the spring following germination, grow them on for a further year in the greenhouse and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Seedlings take 2 - 3 years to flower. Division of offsets in April/May. Do not move plants between October and March. Division is very easy in the growing season, the divisions can be planed straight out into their permanent positions if required.

Cultivation of the herb:

Upper slopes of Table mountain and the southern mountains.

Known hazards of Agapanthus africanus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.