This striking agapanthus with its compact head of drooping, dark violet
blue flowers is always commented on when first seen. The buds as they emerge
seem almost black and are held erect, slowly elongating and finally becoming
pendulous as they open.
This clone named ‘Graskop’, occurs in Mpumalanga near the town of
Graskop and grows in grassland areas in the summer rainfall area. It is a
deciduous species which has narrow light green leaves. Plants stand about
600 mm tall and the flower stems reach a height of 900 mm. They flower in
January and February.
The plants need abundant water during the growing
season and should be planted in well-drained soil in full sunlight. They
make good container plants and are best appreciated in the landscape as
specimen plants or in small groups. They can also be mixed with other
plants, but must not be overcrowded or they will not flower well. Although
deciduous, they do tolerate rain during their dormant period.
They can
withstand sub zero temperatures for short periods but at Inverewe in
Scotland several nights at minus 10 degrees Celsius killed large clumps. In
the northern hemisphere plants in containers can be moved into a glasshouse
during winter while plants outdoors should be covered with straw or similar
material to help protect them.
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