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African Iris

Common Name: African Iris

Scientific Name: Dietes bicolor, Dietes vegeta

Type of Plant: Perennial

Description: This clumping, robust perennial ornamental grass has stiff leaves radiating up and out in a fan shaped pattern. The flower spikes are topped with gorgeous 3″ white or yellow blooms. The flowers are produced sporadically throughout the year. 

Mature Size: 2-3′ tall x 3-4′ wide.

Blooms: Flowering tends to occur in bursts at 2-week intervals, hence another common name: Fortnight Lily

Fruit:  No

Climate Requirements: African Iris performs best in full sun or part shade, in moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Best flower production occurs in full sun, but light afternoon shade is welcomed. Thrives with regular moisture but will perform satisfactorily in poor soil with infrequent watering once established.

Care Requirements: Remove seed pods to promote additional blooms. Flower stems should not be removed after flowering.  Clip off any leaves that die. Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season.  No serious insect or disease problems. Watch for crown root, root rot, rust, scale and nematodes.

Spacing: Space plants 36″ apart

Water Needs: Low, Average

Maintenance: Low

Special Uses/Attributes: African Iris can be useful in the landscape along woodland borders, in mass plantings, in containers or planters, as a border or edger, around decks, swimming pools, and other outdoor living areas, as an accent, under a shade tree, as a groundcover, in landscape beds or islands or in small groupings and also in rock or xeriscape gardens, theme gardens, cottage gardens, butterfly gardens or perennial gardens.  It is fairly drought tolerant and moderately salt tolerant.  

Florida Native: No

Inventory, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials

Agapanthus

Common Name: Lily of the Nile

Scientific Name: Agapanthus africanus

Type of Plant: Perennial

Description: Native to South Africa, award-winning Agapanthus africanus is a lovely African Lily with showy rounded clusters of fragrant, blue, funnel-shaped flowers in early to mid-summer. They rise on stiff, upright stalks atop clumps of beautiful, evergreen, strap-shaped, linear, grass-like leaves. Their foliage mounds remain attractive when the plants are not in bloom.

Mature Size: 2-3′ tall x 3-4′ wide.

Blooms: Early, Mid Summer

Fruit:  No

Climate Requirements: Will grow in full sun in fertile, moist and well-drained soil. In our hot climate area, Agapanthus will do better in partial shade. Do not allow plants to dry out except when dormant. Bear in mind that most varieties will lean toward the sun, which makes a south facing border the best location.

Care Requirements:

  • Agapanthus perform best in fertile, moist and well-drained soil and prefer an acidic soil.  Feed twice during the growing season – once in early spring and again two months later. Avoid fertilizing your Agapanthus plants with high nitrogen fertilizers – use instead a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 5-5-5, or slightly higher in phosphorus than nitrogen. Suspend any fertilizer to either potted or in-ground plants by late summer.
  • Removing the faded blossoms will promote new growth and prevent the plant from wasting energy on seed production. It will also stop seeds from setting in your garden.
  • After blooming is over, keep the leaves so that the plant can put its energy back into its bulb for next summer’s blooming. The leaves give an energy charge to the bulb through photosynthesis and for this they need to keep their leaves!
  • When the leaves begin to yellow, withhold water. Remove the foliage when it withers and dies back.

Spacing: Space plants 12-18″ apart

Water Needs: Average

Maintenance: Low

Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Special Uses/Attributes: Spectacular when planted in great swathes, this Agapanthus fits most garden settings or mixed borders, makes a fantastic accent plant in containers and excellent cut flowers! A great choice for coastal areas as Agapanthus cope well with windy and salty air.  Agapanthus are also pest, deer, and rabbit resistant.

Florida Native: No

Inventory, Perennials