The elegant arching stems and colorful blooms of agapanthus have made this plant a gardener’s delight for centuries. But where did this captivating plant originate? Its journey from the grasslands of Africa to gardens worldwide reveals a fascinating history.
First Glimpses of the African Lily
The earliest known written account of agapanthus comes from Dutch botanist Jan Commelin, who described the plant in 1707 after acquiring samples from the Cape of Good Hope region of South Africa Commelin named it “agapanthus” from the Greek words for love (agape) and flower (anthos)
For over a century, agapanthus remained largely unknown outside of South Africa. It wasn’t until the late 1700s that more extensive collecting expeditions gave European botanists a fuller picture of the diversity of agapanthus species across southern Africa. These early specimens were described under various names like Tulbaghia, Crinum africanum, and Agapanthus umbellatus.
Spreading Beauty Around the Globe
By the early 1800s, agapanthus had charmed its way into greenhouses and gardens across Europe. British nurseries began offering seeds and plants, spreading agapanthus fever throughout England.
Agapanthus gained popularity in the United States by the mid-1800s after being displayed in Philadelphia at the Centennial Exposition of 1876, American gardeners prized it as a novel and beautiful plant, Its reputation spread through gardening magazines and nursery catalogs,
Soon agapanthus circled the globe along trade routes, brought to Australia, New Zealand, India, China, and beyond by enchanted plant lovers. It naturalized easily in many regions with Mediterranean climates similar to its native South Africa.
Developing Dazzling Diversity
With agapanthus established worldwide by the early 1900s, breeders began developing new varieties tailor-made for gardens. They selected traits like cold hardiness, dwarf size, and lush foliage.
But the crowning achievement was breeding agapanthus in vivid new colors like yellow, orange, pink, and red. Exciting bicolored and variegated varieties followed. Now over 500 named cultivars offer a spectacular palette for gardeners.
Continuing a South African Legacy
Despite its global reach, agapanthus remains closely connected to its roots in South Africa. It is a prized garden plant, with many types endemic to smaller regions of the country.
Agapanthus is also integrated into Zulu culture, appearing in folk songs and poetry. The leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine. Agapanthus endures as a living link between South Africa’s indigenous flora and gardens worldwide.
A Bright Future
From its serendipitous beginnings in a Dutch greenhouse to its current starring role in gardens globally, the agapanthus story is one of botanical wonder and human passion.
This graceful plant continues to evolve through the work of hybridizers, promising even more diversity. As new generations of gardeners fall under its spell, the agapanthus is certain to flourish for centuries to come.
Frequency of Entities:
- Agapanthus: 27
- South Africa: 5
- Jan Commelin: 1
- Cape of Good Hope: 1
- Tulbaghia: 1
- Crinum africanum: 1
- Agapanthus umbellatus: 1
- England: 1
- United States: 1
- Philadelphia: 1
- Centennial Exposition of 1876: 1
- Australia: 1
- New Zealand: 1
- India: 1
- China: 1
- Mediterranean: 1
- Zulu: 1
Agapanthus at the Gardner
Gardner Museum horticulturists cultivate two varieties of the beloved lily of the Nile. They have been in our living collection for decades. Both are evergreen cultivars of Agapanthus praecox, the smaller of which is a periwinkle-colored dwarf hybrid known as ‘Peter Pan.’ Protected from the cold of New England’s winters, Agapanthus thrives pot-bound under glass in the greenhouses of our South Shore Nursery.
Photo: Jenny Pore
Summer Blues display in the Courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2022
Midsummer in the Courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the wands of Agapanthus arch in toward the sunlight that streams through the atrium. The religious antiquities in the cloisters surrounding the Summer Blues display echo the flower’s symbolism of the divine. Further exploration of the Museum reveals floral ry around each corner in every medium. Isabella’s passion for life speaks through her collection of art and the frame she created to share it with us.
The History of Agapanthus
Despite its common name, the lily of the Nile is neither a lily nor native to the Nile River basin. Indigenous to southern Africa, Agapanthus thrives in the understory along the banks of rivers and streams. The taxonomic history of Agapanthus is curious. Once included in the lily family, it was found to be more closely related to daffodils and onions. Agapanthus has now settled into the Amaryllis family within its own subfamily—Agapanthoideae.
Photo: Jenny Pore
Summer Blues display in the Courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2022
The etymology of the genus Agapanthus comes from the Greek words for love (“agape”) and flower (“anthos”). One of several Greek words for love, agape represents divine love—or love of humanity—in contrast to “eros” (intimate love) or “philia” (brotherly love). Agapanthus has been symbolic of love long before its naming. This connection can be traced back to the guardians of its native land.
In South Africa, Agapanthus has been valued as a magical and medicinal plant since ancient times. Prized as a love charm, the plant was believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Xhosa women traditionally wore necklaces made of the roots to encourage fertility and good health during pregnancy. Roots have been boiled for a tonic to induce labor. Many toxic plants have been used medicinally throughout history—Agapanthus is no exception. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Pierre-Joseph Redoute (Belgian, 1759–1840), Illustration of Agapanthus umbellatus from Redoute’s Les Liliacees, vol. 2, Paris, 1805–1816.
Agapanthus has been utilized in traditional medicine for a number of ailments. Zulu people harness the plant to treat heart disease, cough, cold, paralysis, and chest pain as Agapanthus is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. Winding the leaves around wrists and feet is thought to bring fevers down and reduce swelling. Although the plant’s sap can irritate sensitive skin, the long, strappy leaves make an ideal bandage to hold a poultice in place.
Photo: Jenny Pore Summer Blues display in the Courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2022
Agapanthus first escaped its native land in the mid-17th century. Specimens harvested near the Cape of Good Hope were brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company and donated to botanical gardens with greenhouses. One such garden was the Jardin des Plantes of Paris, founded in 1635 by King Louis VIII as the Royal Garden of Medicinal Plants—or Jardin du Roi. Agapanthus umbellatus—now known as A. africanus—was noted as having reached the United States by 1806 in The American Gardener’s Calendar by horticulturist Bernard McMahon of Philadelphia. Today Agapanthus grows in tropical to mild temperate zones across the globe and has become naturalized in habitats as diverse as Australia, Great Britain, Ethiopia, Jamaica, and Mexico.
Bibliothèque du Muséum national dhistoire naturelle, Paris. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Frédéric Scalberge (French, 1542–1640), View of the Jardin du Roi, Paris, 1636. Watercolor on vellum. Published in the frontispiece of the Description du Jardin royal des Plantes medicinales, 1641, by Guy de La Brosse (French, 1586–1641)
Alongside his cherished waterlilies, Claude Monet cultivated the lily of the Nile in his gardens at Giverny. The water meadow he shaped with care afforded changing illuminations of his subjects. Monet’s impressions of Agapanthus were transfigured by its reflection in water.
Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Sylvia Slifka in memory of Joseph Slifka (527.1992)
Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), Agapanthus, between 1914 and 1926. Oil on canvas. 198.2 x 178.4 cm (6 6 in. x 70 ¼ in.)
When Did the First Flower Bloom?
FAQ
What is the history of the Agapanthus?
Where is Agapanthus native to?
What are some fun facts about Agapanthus?
What is the spiritual meaning of the white Agapanthus?
When was Agapanthus first recorded?
A. africanus was the first member to be recorded in the genus in 1679 ( Zonneveld and Duncan, 2003 ). Species of Agapanthus are well-known as ornamental plants that are popular as potted plants, cut flowers, and plants for landscaping ( Duncan, 2004; Zhang et al., 2015 ).
Is Agapanthus a plant?
Agapanthus / ˌæɡəˈpænθəs / is a genus of plants, the only one in the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the family Amaryllidaceae. The family is in the monocot order Asparagales. The name is derived from Greek: ἀγάπη ( agapē – “love”), ἄνθος ( anthos – “flower”).
When did Agapanthus get its name?
Finally, in 1824, Hoffmannseg changed the name to A.africanus, designating it as the type species and relegating A. umbellatus to synonymy ( Singh and Baijnath, 2018 ). For many decades, the genus Agapanthus has had a questionable taxonomic classification.
Are there any patents on Agapanthus?
There is only one patent on Agapanthus. In which, a preparation containing extracts of A. africanus employed as biological plant protectants ( Pretorius, 2013 ). However, there are no available data regarding the marketed products and other innovations based on this species. 10. Conclusion and future perspectives