Agapanthus is now in full bloom in the garden. Its flowers never fail to transport me back to memories of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. They thrive in the milder climate there. Their seemingly delicate umbels on long, wavering stems get buffeted by all the elements. Yet, they seem to withstand poor soil, strong coastal winds, drought, heavy downpours and salt spray. My copy of Chapman’s Wildflowers of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly even includes Agapanthus praecox as an accepted, naturalised plant.
Agapanthus at Tresco Abbey Gardens, Isles of Scilly 
Agapanthus St Mawes on the Cornish coast
Agapanthus at the Eden Project 
Agapanthus on Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Agapanthus at St Mawes, Cornwall 
Naturalised Agapanthus on dunes and heathland, Tresco
Close-up of Agapanthus umbel 
White Agapanthus after downpour, Eden Project
Beloved but not a Lily
Agapanthus’s popularity is reflected in its Latin name. The name is formed from a compound of two Greek words: love + flower (agape + anthos). The taxonomic history is complicated and experts still dispute species boundaries. Today, the African Lily or Lily of the Nile is not placed in the Lily family at all. It resides in its own subfamily of Agapanthoideae in the Amaryllidaceae or Onion family. This classification is based on the umbellate inflorescence covered by bracts in bud according to Kew’s Plants of the World.
Link to a Forgotten Botanist
The plant had numerous other names before settling down to one. Its existence was first noted in 1629. We owe its name and description to a now largely forgotten French botanist: Charles Louis L’Héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800). He appears to have led a colourful life. He got caught up in the exciting times when plant hunters were bringing exotic, tropical species to Europe. He was a self-taught botanist who used his wealth to pursue his interests. His avowed aim was ‘to describe, in most cases portray and classify according to the Linnaean system plants that were either new or had gone largely unnoticed.’ His first publication was illustrated by the work of the future famous botanical artist, Pierre-Joseph Redouté.
L’Héritier de Brutelle was no stranger to intrigue. He escaped the guillotine during the French Revolution and absconded to England after an international dispute over specimen ownership with Spain. He was able to access Kew’s plant collections during his 2-year stay. (Joseph Banks named the genus Heritiera in Malvaceae after him). The French Revolution ruined him financially and curtailed his ability to continue publishing. Much of his work was therefore unfinished. Ultimately, he was the victim of an unsolved murder in France.
Today’s Agapanthus Hybrids
It was not until the 20th century that serious efforts were made to create new hybrids. An RHS Treasurer, the Honourable William Palmer, bred today’s popular Headbourne Hybrids. There are now over 600 Agapanthus cultivars that can be distinguished by
- their colour: various shades of blue, white to almost black
- flower form: funnel, trumpet, star or tubular
- evergreen foliage or with foliage that dies back
- foliage colour: light, dark green and variegated
- foliage width and length
- stem thickness and colour
- flowering period.
Despite its frost tenderness in British winters, Agapanthus is very popular for borders and pots. It seems to have a bad reputation in other parts of the world. Roots that are nigh well impossible to eradicate have earned it a reputation as an invasive in New Zealand.
One of the above photos shows how Agapanthus praecox has naturalised on Tresco’s sand dunes and heathland. We seem to love this South African plant in the South West of England. The exceptionally cold winter of 1987/8 killed many plants in the Isles of Scilly. Agapanthus was so cherished and missed that the Scilly islanders reintroduced it.
© Karen Andrews
References and Further Reading
- Australian National Herbarium (2007): L’Héritier, Charles Louis de Brutelle (1746-1800). Biographical Notes. CHAH, 13 November 2007.
- BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine (2020): Agapanthus ‘Headbourne Hybrids’.
- Boyack, Nicholas (2018): Agapanthus are everywhere – but do people realise that it’s a weed that smothers native plants? Stuff.co.nz. Lifestyle. Gardening. 19 January 2018.
- Campbell-Culver, Maggie (2013): The Origin of Plants. Eden Project Books.
- Chapman, David (2008): Wildflowers of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Alison Hodge.
- Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. & Fay, Michael F. & Chase, Mark W. (2017): Plants of the World. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Vascular Plants. Kew. Chicago.
- Christie’s (1999): Charles Louis L’Héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800).
- Notten, Alice (2004): Agapanthus praecox. PlantZAfrica.com. South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
- RHS (2020): How to grow Agapanthus.
- Tessier, Florence (2018): Sur les traces des botanistes oubliés: L’Héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800) 2 February 2018. The Conversation.
- Trebah Garden (2020): The Agapanthus.
- Vergote, Maurice & Wyckstandt, Tim (2020): History of the Agapanthus. Agapanthus.
- Zonneveld, Piet (2015): History. Agapanthus.
Copyright Note
Karen does not seek or receive any commercial interest or advantage from this blog. She is not promoting any business venture. She simply loves to share fascinating facts about plants. These pages illustrate her love of plants, botany, biodiversity, gardens and creative expression. There is always so much to learn about plant diversity. This blog is designed as a showcase for photography, commentary on plants and wildlife, gardens and other places visited, horticulture and related topics. Viewpoints are her own, not those of her employer.
© Karen Andrews 2018 onwards. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Karen Andrews and BotanyKaren.net with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.