Friday, July 20, 2012

African Lily

I'm trying to do a little detective work today.  I saw this beautiful flower all over the place when I visited  California.  Since these don't grow where I'm from, I am not familiar with it.  I did a little research, and I think these are African lilies, also known as Agapanthus Africanus.  If any of you California folks can confirm or correct this, please do!

These flowers grow very much like the day lilies that I am accustomed to in the midwest.  They have long, narrow leaves, and a central flower stalk, with blue, funnel-shaped flowers.  They grow to be 1 - 2 feet high.

Agapanthus Africanus are originally from South Africa.  They do well outdoors in the southernmost part of the country.  During the summer, they require a lot of water.  My research indicated that most gardeners plant them in containers, which made me wonder why I saw so many in California.  Hmmm.  It's a mystery!

10 comments:

  1. very pretty. Alas, not much water in TX, so not an option for me. You find very cool flowers. Enjoy the weekend

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    1. Yeah, I've never seen these flowers in Texas. No surprise that you haven't seen them either.

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  2. I know about four kinds of flowers and one is a dandelion, so no help here!

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    1. LOL! I guess you'll have to keep reading this blog and learn about a few more! (Don't worry, my husband knows only a few kinds, too - rose, tulip, pansy, and dandelion!)

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  3. Very Pretty!! My mom would love this flower.

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    1. It is really pretty. If she can grow it where she lives, I'm sure your mom would love it.

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  4. That is a pretty flower.

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    1. I thought so, too. They were all over the place in California - in highway medians, in gardens, along the sides of roads. Definitely not a flower I've seen in Ohio.

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