Looking to add a touch of elegance to your garden? African lilies make for exquisite summer blooms year after year and are easy to grow and maintain. This post will serve as your in-depth guide. You can jump to any section you need in the advanced jump below, or you can read on for the full African Lilies growing guide.
Jump to:
- What Are African Lilies?
- Are African Lilies Perennials or Annuals?
- African Lily Basics
- Where Do African Lilies Grow?
- Why Grow African Lilies?
- When Do African Lilies Bloom?
- How Long Do African Lilies Bloom?
- When to Plant African Lilies
- Ideal Growing Conditions for African Lilies
- How to Plant African Lilies
- How to Propagate African Lilies
- How to Care for African Lilies
- Recommended Planting Combinations for African Lily
- African Lily Landscaping Ideas
- Recommended African Lily Varieties
- Frequently Asked Questions About Growing African Lilies
- Where to Buy African Lilies
What Are African Lilies?
“African lily” is a common name for plants that grow in the Agapanthus genus, which is part of the family Amaryllidaceae.
That is the amaryllis family, of course. But if you want to read about amaryllis flowers, you should take a look at our Amaryllis Full Growing Guide.
Incidentally, spider lilies are also in the same family. See our Spider Lily Growing Guide to learn how to plant those intriguing blooms.
Getting back to African lilies, you may also know these plants by the name “lily of the Nile.” In Australia, African lilies are called “Star of Bethlehem” flowers due to their bloom time, which is close to Christmas.
One thing that may surprise you about African lilies is that they are not actually true lilies. True lilies are plants in the genus Lilium.
Something interesting about the Agapanthus genus is that there is a lot of contention over how many species it contains. Some experts say that there are as few as 6 species in the genus. Others claim that there are as many as 10.
In terms of their appearance, African lilies will remind you more of alliums than they do of lilies. Like alliums, they produce clusters of blooms in a globe shape at the tops of their tall stems.
Nevertheless, you can tell them apart because African lily globes are not as dense as those of alliums. There is less focus on the globe shape and more on the individual tubular flowers that comprise it.
Neither alliums nor African lilies are “better” than the other; they both have their own unique kinds of beauty. And actually, a lot of gardeners choose to plant both, sometimes as companions.
Numerous cultivars of agapanthus flowers exist, quite a few of which are recipients of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Are African Lilies Perennials or Annuals?
African lilies are perennials. Their hardiness zones are typically 8-11. Usually, if a plant is only hardy in zones 9-11, we call them “tender perennials.” Some types of African lilies are considered to be tender, especially those that are evergreen. The deciduous ones are considered to be more hardy.
Growing African lilies outdoors full-time should be pretty easy if you are in zones 8-11. What if you are in zone 7 or below? In that case, you can still grow African lilies as perennials, but it might require you to overwinter them indoors. We will give you instructions later on in this post.
There are some varieties of agapanthus flowers that are hardy in zones 7, 6, and even occasionally 5, however.
You can grow any of these types of African lily as a perennial plant without overwintering indoors in those cooler climate zones.
African Lily Basics
| Zones: | 8-11 (sometimes zones 6-7 as well) |
| Blooming season: | Spring through fall (depending on climate zone and variety) |
| Expected height: | Up to 3 feet |
| Soil: | A rich, well-draining soil |
| Sun: | Full to partial |
Where Do African Lilies Grow?
Just as the name suggests, African lilies are native to Africa. Today, they are cultivated throughout the world in warmer climate zones. They can even be grown in cooler climate zones with appropriate winter care. If you happen to live in Northern California, chances are good you have seen some African lilies growing in your area.
Why Grow African Lilies?
Here are some reasons to think about planting African lilies:
• African lily foliage can work well if you are in search of an effective groundcover. Some types of African lilies are evergreen as an added bonus.
• Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies all love African lilies and will have a great time visiting them. You’ll also have fun watching them flit around.
• African lilies require very little in the way of ongoing care and maintenance. They are especially easy when it comes to pruning.
• During their flowering period, African lilies produce intriguing blooms that capture the eye atop their tall stalks. They are a good choice if you like alliums but wish you could see the individual flowers more clearly.
• African lilies grow easily in warm climates and are tolerant of a wide range of soil types.
• Many gardeners enjoy using African lilies as cut flowers in their bouquets.
• Potted agapanthus makes for an excellent container plant, particularly in climate zones where overwintering is necessary.
When Do African Lilies Bloom?
The main bloom period for African lilies is during summer. But depending on the variety you plant and your climate zone, your African lilies could start blooming as early as spring. They might also bloom into early fall.
How Long Do African Lilies Bloom?
The bloom time for an individual African lily plant is usually about 6 weeks. Some cultivars can bloom for up to 12 weeks, however.
Remember, you can plant different varieties of African lilies that bloom earlier and later in the season to enjoy blooms for a longer span of each year.
When to Plant African Lilies
Typically, the best time to plant African lilies is in spring once the last frost of the year is past. But you may also be able to plant them in fall in some climates.
Ideal Growing Conditions for African Lilies
One of the keys to Agapanthus care is knowing what conditions these plants need in your container garden or your garden beds. Let’s discuss optimal light, watering, and soil conditions.
How Much Sun Do African Lilies Need?
African lilies need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Direct sunlight is ideal; if there is only indirect sunlight, the lilies will lean toward it. As they look best standing directly upright, you want to avoid that when possible.
For that reason, full sun is better than partial sun in most circumstances. Afternoon sunlight can get to be a bit too intense in especially hot climates, however. So, a little afternoon shade may be suitable.
Just remember that if your African lilies get insufficient sunlight, they will not bloom as well.
What Type of Soil is Right for African Lilies?
While you should keep the soil moist, well-drained soil is a must for African lilies. Beyond that, you do not have to worry all that much about the soil type. But with clay soils or other heavy soils, you should definitely amend with compost to improve drainage or use raised garden beds.
Fertile soils are appreciated by African lilies. If your garden soil is average, that is another reason to think about mixing in some compost.
Finally, acidic soils are best for African lilies, but they will also grow fine in neutral soils.
How Much Water Do African Lilies Need?
American Meadows says, “During the growing season, African lilies are heavy drinkers and benefit from regular watering. During the winter months, it is best to keep them on the dry side if possible. If kept inside (zones colder than 7), water just to prevent desiccation.”
Note the bold text; it can be quite easy to overwater these plants when they are living indoors.
Each growing season, you need to give African lilies about an inch of water per week.
How to Plant African Lilies
For the directions below, we will explain how you can plant an African lily bulb in your garden. For instructions on how to plant African lily seeds, see the propagation sections.
Ground Planting
1. Begin by preparing the soil. Amending it with compost can be helpful for improving the drainage and nutrition prior to planting.
2. Dig holes for your African lily bulbs about 18-24” apart.
3. Place the bulbs inside the holes and backfill the soil.
4. Water well.
Container Planting
1. Pick a suitably sized pot with drainage holes for the African lily you want to grow in your container garden.
2. Begin filling the container with potting mix.
3. Place the bulb inside the container, and then fill in the remaining potting mix.
4. Water well.
How to Propagate African Lilies
There are a couple of options for propagating African lilies. Let’s talk about how you can grow this plant from seed or divide existing plants to get new ones.
Starting African Lilies from Seed
Let’s go over step-by-step directions for how you can grow Agapanthus plants from seeds.
1. If you are harvesting seeds from your own African lily plants, then you will need to get them out of their pods. This is typically just a matter of opening one hand underneath the pods and then using the other to push the seeds out into your palm.
If you do not have any existing African lily plants, you can purchase the seeds from a nursery.
2. Get a seed starting tray and fill it with a seed starting mix that contains compost and perlite. The tray, of course, should have drainage holes.
3. Sow the seeds on the surface of the potting mix.
4. Cover the seeds with grit. Do not bury them deep, however.
5. Use a spray bottle to gently water the seeds. Get the potting mix moist, but do not soak it completely.
6. Choose a warm, sunny location for the seeds to germinate. Regularly water them so that the potting mix remains moist.
7. After about a month, the African lily seeds will germinate, and you will have seedlings. At this point, you should continue exposing them to light but put them in a cooler location.
8. Eventually, you will be able to transplant each seedling into its own individual container.
9. When the last danger of frost is behind you, you can harden the seedlings. Take them outdoors for longer and longer periods of time until they adapt.
10. Transplant the seedlings into permanent containers or your flower beds, and water well.
Starting African Lilies from Cuttings
We have seen a couple of resources claim you can propagate African lilies from cuttings, but hardly any. This method does not seem worth your time; we suggest you just stick with seeds or divisions.
How to Divide African Lilies
Dividing African lilies isn’t optional; if you fail to do it, over time, you will notice fewer blooms. When that starts to happen, it means it is time for dividing. Here is how to do it.
1. Wait for the plant to finish blooming for the year. Then, use a shovel to dig in a circle around the clump. Make sure you are sufficiently far away that you do not cut through the roots.
2. Push your shovel underneath the clump when you finish digging in a circle. This should allow you to remove the clump from the ground.
3. Wipe the extra soil away from the roots so you can get a clear view.
4. Using a sanitized knife, make your divisions. Every new, smaller clump needs to have roots, leaves, and buds on it. Some of your resulting divisions may be larger or smaller than others. The bigger ones can go right in your flower beds, but the smaller ones usually do better if they live in containers for a while.
5. Dig holes and plant the divisions. Backfill and water well.
How to Care for African Lilies
How do you maintain African lilies? Let’s talk about pruning, fertilizing, mulching, and staking.
How to Fertilize African Lilies
Organic fertilizers work well in early spring. Ideally, they should have a high ratio of nitrogen versus other components. This will lead to leafy growth. When you want to shift the emphasis to the blooms, you can fertilize again, but using something that contains more potassium and less nitrogen.
How to Mulch African Lilies
You should mulch your African lilies in preparation for summer to prevent weeds from growing close to them and to help retain soil moisture on the hottest days.
African lilies also should be mulched for winter if your climate is mild enough to leave them outdoors yet still cool enough that the winter weather could feasibly damage them without protection. The mulch will insulate the soil and help protect the roots if there are occasional dips below ideal temperatures.
How to Stake African Lilies
You probably will not have to stake your African lilies. The only situation where this would be necessary is when they are in partial shade and straining toward the light. In that case, they might flop if you do not prop them upright. You can just use garden ties to attach them carefully to bamboo stakes in this case. But it is better to plant them where they will get plenty of sunlight, if possible.
How to Prune African Lilies
The pruning needs of African lilies are delightfully minimal. Let’s talk about what you need to know about deadheading them and trimming them back.
How to Deadhead African Lilies
You do not need to deadhead African lilies unless you want to stop them from going to seed and/or tidy up their appearance. It will not help them bloom further for the season. In fact, some people like how the seed heads look and prefer to leave them in place for winter.
When to Cut Back African Lilies
If you have an evergreen variety of African lily, you do not need to cut it back for winter. You might need to cover the leaves to protect them if your weather is particularly harsh, however.
What about deciduous African lilies? After they are done blooming each year, their leaves will yellow and die back. Some gardeners leave them alone, but you might want to remove the dead foliage to prevent issues with rot or pests. Getting rid of the dead leaves also will improve their appearance.
How to Overwinter African Lilies
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox explains how to overwinter both types of African lilies, writing, “Evergreen types should be grown year-round, treating them as houseplants during the winter in areas that receive frost. The deciduous ones can be stored in a cool, dark place in above-freezing temperatures in areas north of zone 7. If leaving the deciduous types in the ground, provide with mulch for protection and do not plant in an area that stays wet.”
Are African Lilies Vulnerable to Diseases or Pests?
Some of the diseases that African lilies can get include gray mold, powdery mildew, root rot, and leaf spot. Diseases often result from excess moisture, especially in humid environments. So, you should pick an airy location for the lilies, spacing them out to provide enough air circulation. Also important is ensuring adequate drainage.
Now that we have covered diseases in our care guide for this flowering plant let’s discuss pests.
Insect pests that can attack African lilies include mealybugs, aphids, and red spider mites. Slugs and snails are known to eat African lilies too. What about deer and rabbits? It depends on who you ask. Some gardeners report that these animals do eat their African lilies. Others claim that African lilies are deer- and rabbit-resistant. It probably depends on how hungry they are and what other food sources are available.
Recommended Planting Combinations for African Lily
Here are a few plants that can make excellent companions for African lilies:
• Sedum: In particular, the taller types of sedums can look lovely planted among African lilies. See our Sedum Full Growing Guide.
• Yarrow: These plants also flourish in similar conditions as African lilies and provide a nice color contrast. Take a look at our Yarrow Full Growing Guide.
• Allium: The globular shapes of alliums on their tall stalks can add visual appeal to a display of African lilies. You will enjoy appreciating the similarities and differences between these two types of flowers side-by-side. Check out our Allium Full Growing Guide.
African Lily Landscaping Ideas
Here are some ways you can use African lilies to complement your landscape:
• Borders: The most popular use for African lilies is to plant them in borders. Their foliage will define the shape of the border, and the blooms above will add visual interest. Keep in mind that if you plant the border along a wall or fence that provides shade, the blooms will tend to lean over away from the shade toward the walkway.
• Pollinator garden: African lilies will enhance the allure of your pollinator garden to friendly visitors.
• Container garden: One more easy way to use African lilies is to plant them in containers. You can put these anywhere in your garden or on your patio. We suggest this approach if you are in a cooler climate zone.
Recommended African Lily Varieties
Of course, no guide to African lilies would be complete without discussing some Agapanthus cultivars worth growing in your garden. Here are a few you will enjoy during their blooming period:
• Ever Twilight: If you are looking for dwarf varieties of African lilies that are ideal for growing as potted plants, you will appreciate this beauty with its delicate-looking blooms. The flowers are mostly white, but their throats are purple. Growing no larger than 2’ tall, it is suitable even for a small patio or deck. It also is hardy down to zone 8.
• Ever White: If you like Ever Twilight, but would prefer entirely white flowers, then you should go with this cultivar.
• Galaxy Blue: Are you dreaming of a blue lily? You will adore this cultivar with its bluish-purple blooms. Each petal has a dark streak running down the middle that draws extra emphasis to the shapes of the flowers. Live in a cooler climate zone? You will be pleased to learn you can grow Galaxy Blue outdoors full-time as a perennial, even in zone 6!
• Cold Hardy White: If you live in climate zone 5, you might worry that you cannot grow African lilies. But here is a cultivar that produces white blooms that is hardy in zones 5-10. It is also evergreen.
• Golden Drop: Gardeners interested in compact varieties of African lilies can think about planting the evergreen “Golden Drop” cultivar. Featuring variegated foliage and light bluish flowers, it is the perfect choice for a container garden.
• Silver Baby: This cultivar is compact, making it another good option for containers, and produces whitish-bluish blooms. It is one of the hardy varieties of African lily, able to withstand the occasional light winter frosts.
• Brilliant Blue: Another option for those who do not live in hotter climates is this cultivar, which can withstand occasional temperature drops to as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit. The blooms, of course, are a beautiful light bluish hue.
• Margaret: This cultivar of African lily features bluish-purplish blooms. It is deciduous and grows best in zone 7.
• Angela: The light purple blooms of this cultivar have a lovely delicate look.
• Black Pantha: The blooms of this cultivar do not appear black, though the buds do. The flowers themselves are a surprisingly deep purple, making for a striking visual statement.
• Headbourne series: This name refers to hybrids of African lily that were developed to offer fantastic pest resistance and hardiness. You can choose from a range of bluish hues. Some of them are evergreens, while others are semi-evergreens. They have received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
• Blue Heaven: Do you like light blue blossoms? If so, “Blue Heaven” will elevate your garden to a heavenly status.
• Ever Amethyst: While most cultivars of African lily have a bluish hue, “Ever Amethyst” is a distinctive cultivar that has a warmer purplish color. If you live in zones 8-11, you can keep it outside year-round. In cooler zones, try growing it in pots so you can bring it indoors for winter.
• Graskop: Plant this cultivar if you want dark purple blooms that hang downward. It also prefers zones 8-11.
• Summer Skies: For a cultivar that has a somewhat ethereal look, try planting “Summer Skies.” Each delicate bloom is a pale bluish whitish color with just a tiny bit of yellow at the center. Soft streaks of color run through the center of every petal for an added touch of beauty.
• Twister: At first glance, you might think the blooms on this cultivar are entirely white. But if you look at the bases of the blooms, you will notice that they are slightly purple.
• Ever Midnight: With a name like “Ever Midnight,” you might think that this cultivar would be black or close to black. But the blooms are actually a rich, striking bluish purple. It is hardy in zones 8-11.
• Little Blue Fountain: For a compact cultivar of African lily that is evergreen and produces striking bluish blooms, think about planting “Little Blue Fountain” in your garden.
• Arctic Star: Not surprisingly, this is a cultivar of agapanthus that features beautiful white flowers. They contrast beautifully with the grayish-green foliage. You will be excited to learn that while the name is a reference to the flowers, it also refers a bit to the frost hardiness of the cultivar. Of course, you do not want to expose it to really harsh winter conditions, but the occasional frost should be fine.
• Loch Hope: One of the bluest cultivars of African lily you will find is the dazzling “Loch Hope.” With its impressive hardiness, you can grow it outdoors year-round, even in zone 6. No wonder it won the famous Award of Garden Merit.
These are only a few examples of beautiful varieties of African lilies that will complement your garden. Be sure to check online to discover many more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Growing African Lilies
To wrap up this guide, here are answers to a few frequently asked questions about lilies of the Nile.
Agapanthus – African lilies are sometimes eaten by insects, slugs, snails, or mammals.
Yes, African lilies are poisonous to cats, dogs, and even humans. It is also very important to know that true lilies are poisonous to cats and dogs too. Other plants that are referred to as lilies are also toxic to pets.
African lilies can spread, yes. But they do not do so quickly or aggressively, so you do not need to worry about them taking over your garden.
The University of Florida says, “Left undisturbed, this lily will multiply to form large clumps. These look wonderful when planted in groups in landscape beds but work equally well in containers. Individual plants seldom spread wider than 2 feet, but clumps can fill entire beds over time.”
Despite the fact that this is not a particularly aggressive plant, there are still some areas where it is classified as invasive. There is some controversy in New Zealand regarding whether or not it should be considered a “pest plant.”
Where to Buy African Lilies
Now you should be off to a great start growing African lilies in your perennial garden. The largest selection of African lily varieties can be found by shopping for these beautiful bulb flowers online. Enjoy the beauty they bring to your perennial garden each year.
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