Mention Agapanthus to people interested in plants and you’ll get a range of responses. Some loathe all things Agapanthus while others adore the warmer months purely as it is Agapanthus flowering time.

For most Australians who have grown up along the East Coast anywhere below Brisbane, Agapanthus are just common plants to be ignored as yawn worthy additions to nature strips and public park plantings. Even in some Council regions the common Aggie has been declared an ‘undesirable’. In the most part, Agapanthus have been overused. Can't think of a plant to put in that troublesome spot? Chuck in an Aggie, especially as the neighbour has an abundance and has thrown a few onto the nature strip with a sign that says ‘free plants.’ This default has resulted in most of us finding Agapanthus a little underwhelming.

However, if one delves a little deeper into the depths of Agapanthus cultivars, one can find a profusion of beautiful rarely spotted forms that make eye catching additions to any garden. With colours ranging from deep velvety purples, through royalty blues into pale sky blues and then cloudy greys, snow whites and mixed tones of both blue and white, the new horizon for agapanthus is wide and inviting. On top of these colours there are forms, heights and flower shapes that have only previously been seen by explorers in the Drakensberg mountains of South Africa. No longer do we need to settle for drab when it comes to Agapanthus. Now they can be the centre, the focus and even the reason to visit the garden .......... a well designed garden, the neighbours garden or your own garden.

If you happen to be amongst the underwhelmed and the mention of Agapanthus causes you to glaze over, perhaps these newer varieties just might spark some curiosity. Below are a few distinctive varieties that have come across our path in recent times. Some are evergreen and tough like the original garden forms, while others require a little more care and attention to perform at their best and may be herbaceous.

Agapanthus 'Margaret Ollie'

Agapanthus 'Indigo Dreams'

Agapanthus 'Poppin Purple'

Agapanthus inapertus subsp. hollandii 'Sky'

Agapanthus 'Windlebrook'

Agapanthus 'Storm’s River'

Agapanthus 'Blue Ice'

Agapanthus 'Bingo Blue'

Agapanthus 'Minto'

Agapanthus 'Grasskop'

Agapanthus 'Twister'

Agapanthus 'Fireworks'

Agapanthus 'Guilfoyle'