Agapanthus Ever Sapphire

Agapanthus Ever Sapphire is the first to bloom in the garden, often as early as May, and it is not uncommon for it to offer a few flowers again in autumn. With its vibrant blue colour, its umbels of flowers stand erect on numerous short and sturdy flower stalks, surpassing a compact and tightly packed tuft of leaves. Not very tall but exceptionally generous, it easily finds its place in all gardens, where it will make a sensation along the edge of a path, near the terrace, or in a large pot on the patio. Deciduous and rather hardy, it is also a carefree agapanthus that thrives in full sun, in ordinary but well-drained soil, not too dry in summer.

Agapanthus plants belong to the family of lilies and are native to South Africa. Several species have been extensively hybridized by horticulturists in search of new colours, more compact and hardier plants, better suited to our climates. The cultivar Ever Sapphire ('Andbin') was selected in 2010 in South Africa, just like its twin sister with white flowers Ever White, for its exceptional floribundity. This plant develops and multiplies rapidly from a stump with fleshy rhizomes, forming from spring onwards a dense tuft of linear foliage, of a shiny dark green, with a minimum diameter of 40-50cm (16-20in), expanding over time. The flowering period extends from May to August, and often resumes in October if the weather is mild. Numerous sturdy flower stalks, barely 50cm (20in) tall, emerge from the tuft of foliage. They bear at their tips hemispherical umbels with a diameter of 10cm (4in), composed of numerous small campanulate flowers in the shape of flared trumpets. Each flower is composed of 6 petals fused into a tube at the base, of an intense blue colour. Each petal is crossed by a fine line of a deeper blue. The bright green foliage of this variety disappears in winter, as it is deciduous.

Despite its modest stature, Agapanthus Ever Sapphire forms a real bouquet of flowers for very long weeks, much to the delight of the gardener. It is all you see in the garden or on the patio. In addition to its exceptional floribundity, it has good hardiness, up to about -10/-12°C (14/10.4°F). This new variety will easily adapt to many regions that are not too cold, especially if its stump is protected by a thick winter mulch. Whether in flower beds, borders, large rockeries, pots or containers, Agapanthus is suitable for a wide range of uses. It is particularly suitable for mild coastal climates. Ever Sapphire is very beautiful when associated with Ever White or other compact blue, mauve, or white varieties in a minimalist decor. It is also very decorative in flower beds with an exotic feel, with Kniphofias, Hemerocallis, grasses, and Cannas.