Agapanthus is a genus of herbaceous perennial bulbs that mostly bloom in summer. Agapanthus is collectively commonly known as “Lily of the Nile”, but it is not a lily, and all the species are indigenous to South Africa from the Cape to the Limpopo River. Species boundaries are not clear in the genus, and despite having been intensively studied, the number of species recognized by different authorities varies from 6 to 10. A great many hybrids and cultivars have been produced and they are cultivated throughout warm areas of the world. Agapanthus can be grown within plant hardiness zones 9 to 11. In lower-numbered zones, the bulbs should be placed deeper in the soil and mulched well in autumn. Agapanthus can be propagated by dividing the bulbs or by seeds. The seeds of most varieties are fertile. Agapanthus is one of South Africa’s best known garden plants and is grown in most countries in the world. Their strap-like leaves and striking blue or white flowers make them favorites in plant borders as well as in containers.

Agapanthus praecox ssp. orientalis Tall White occurs in Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal and is also generally 80cm to 1m tall and flowers in mid to late summer (December to February). It is distinguished from subsp. praecox by its shorter perianth segments (less than 50mm), and it has more leaves (up to 20 per plant) which are not leathery and have an arching habit. It differs from subsp. minimus by having a denser inflorescence, the whole plant is larger, and it forms thick clumps. Flowers are open-faced and pure white.