Agapanthus Celebration

The 'Celebration' Agapanthus is a variety that will offer you its delicate pale blue bell-shaped flowers throughout the summer. Its elongated, tender green and glossy leaves are deciduous. The plant can withstand temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F) to -12°C (10.4°F), making it more suitable for outdoor use than evergreen varieties. A rich, not too dry, acidic to neutral soil in sunny conditions will ensure its harmonious growth, and it will also perform well in pots.

The 'Celebration' Agapanthus is part of a widely spread genus in mild climate gardens, Agapanthus, which belongs to the botanical family Amaryllidaceae (formerly known as Liliaceae). This genus includes 7 species native to South Africa, where they grow in open coastal environments. The thick fleshy rhizomes produce long and arching bright green linear leaves, from which large stems emerge in summer. At their tips, numerous violet, blue or white flowers are gathered in spectacular umbels. Nurseries have done significant selection and hybridization work for decades, resulting in varieties with various colours, denser habit, and improved hardiness. Evergreen Agapanthus are generally the most common in commerce, but deciduous leaf hybrids, which are the hardiest, can also be found.

The 'Celebration' variety is a result of crosses with the botanical species Agapanthus inapertus (the closed flower Agapanthus), which as its name suggests is characterized by very closed trumpet-shaped flowers that are slightly trailing. In 'Celebration', these flowers have a rare and delicate pale blue or lilac hue, and are produced between June and September depending on the climate. The plant, of medium stature, will reach approximately 70cm (28in) in height when flowering, with a diameter of 50cm. It belongs to the deciduous leaf varieties, thus showing resistance to moderate frosts (-10 to -12°C (14 to 10.4°F)).

The cultivation of 'Celebration' Agapanthus is relatively simple: it prefers an acidic to neutral, moist but well-drained and rather rich soil. While the plant tolerates summer drought, avoid letting the substrate completely dry out to maintain flowering. The clumps spread slowly. Its hardiness is quite good, but it requires planting in rockeries under not too cold climates or in very sheltered locations such as a patio. If your region is too cold, pot cultivation in a cold greenhouse is recommended. For colourful and exotic scenes, combine it with other Agapanthus varieties like 'Ever Sapphire', dark blue, or 'Queen Mum', white, but also with Beschorneria septentrionalis, Agave neomexicana, or Yucca rostrata. All of them are exotic plants with respectable hardiness.