HOW TO OVERWINTER AGAPANTHUS

How to overwinter agapanthus

Agapanthus, commonly known as the 'African lily' in Great Britain or 'Lily of the Nile' in the rest of the world ( although it is neither from the Nile region nor the Liliaceae family) is a genus of herbaceous perennials native to southern Africa. There are are up to 10 species within the genus (4 of which are still in discussion) and many valuable, ornamental hybrids.

How to overwinter Agapanthus

Despite their subtropical and warm temperate origins, many agapanthus hybrids are surprisingly hardy in the cooler temperate regions of northern Europe, however the further north you go the more important it becomes to provide adequate winter protection. Of course half-hardy species and hybrids should be pot grown and then brought in under frost free protection when night temperature begin to drop below 8 degrees Celsius.

For outdoor grown agapanthus it is advisable to provide cold protection in all but the mildest areas of northern Europe from October to April. Before you commence, cut back all old flowering stems down to ground level and remove any yellow leaves as they occur. Provide a 6-9 inch deep dry mulch over the top of the crowns to protect the roots from ground frosts. You can use either straw, bracken, horticultural grade coarse sand or weathered ashes. The straw and bracken will need to be secured in place.

Once the threat of late frosts have passed in the spring the mulch can be removed.

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