Description
Agapanthus praecox | Lily of the Valley ‘Shona’
Lily of the Valley, is also commonly called African Lily, Nile Lily, African Love Lily, Peter Pan Lily, Love Flower or Elaine Plant. The name Agapanthus is derived from the Greek: ‘agape’, meaning “love”, and another Greek word ‘anthos’, meaning “flower”, together meaning Love Flower or Flower of Love. The other reason it was called the Love Flower is that part of the plant was used as an aphrodisiac. And although almost all of its names use “Lily”, it is not a true lily, but rather falls under the family Amaryllidaceae and in the subfamily Agapanthoideae, containing only its varieties.
Lily of the Valley ‘Shona’ is a tough, drought-tolerant early and heavy blooming evergreen perennial with strap-shaped leaves that grow into a fountain-like mound. Sturdy stalks only 2 ft in height explode into round clusters (umbels) of bright white funnel-shaped flowers. Because it has such a pure and clean appearance, it’s perfect for gardens and patio containers. Its also useful as a cut flower, too, which will last about 10 days after being cut.
Attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 2-2.5 ft
Mature width: 2-2.5 ft
Hardiness zones: 8-11
