Agapanthus: Lily of the Nile

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

a lovely lilac blue

 This is a genus of six species of fleshy-rooted perennials in the Agapanthaceae - a sister family to the Amaryllidaceae.  Despite the common name of Lily-of-the-Nile, they are not native to the Nile River basin but actually endemic to southern Africa.In its native areas, it is considered to be both a magical and a medicinal plant, used to treat heart disease, paralysis, coughs, colds, and other ailments.  The leaves are used as bandages - and guess what - the plant does contain chemicals with anti-inflammatory and other properties! 

a dark blue !

 However, the plant’s sap can cause minor irritation or dermatitis in susceptible individuals, and will cause severe pain in the mouth if ingested. Not a good plant for a garden visited by children or pets. 

the only one white variety

 Agapanthus are common landscape plants in mild climates.  In colder places they are commonly used as landscape container plants.  Simply bring inside at the end of the growing season, before frost. They can be kept in their containers, just allowing them to remain dry until spring. 

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  Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission from @SHUTTERSTOCK 

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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