Re: Hardy Agapanthus

**"B. K. Earl" b*@xnet.com**

Andrew,

I have no knowledge of Agapanthus 'Cold Hardy White'. However, two 
summers ago I came across a huge (approx 36" diameter) clump of blue 
Agapanthus (cultivar unknown)  growing in-ground in a garden just  north 
of Three Rivers, MI.  (Three Rivers is just a tad south of Kalamazoo, 
definitely Zone 5 -- a or b, I'm not sure.)  Intrigued by the prospect 
of this bulb growing apparently quite happily in Southern Michigan, I 
approached the homeowner regarding the plant.  According to her, she 
purchased the original blooming container at the local big box store 
several years before.  After two years of overwintering the bulbs 
indoors in the winter and taking the pots outside for the summer with no 
blooms as a reward for her efforts, she stuck the plant in the ground 
one spring and said "Live or die, I don't care" and left it to its own 
devises.  The bulbs thrived and multiplied.  The spring of the year in 
which I first saw this marvel, the home owner had dug up bulbs from the 
clump and planted them in different parts of her yard hoping to expand 
her collection.

Last summer once again I was in the area so I stopped by.  Sure enough, 
the clump was still there in all its blooming glory.  However, not every 
replanted bulb survived.  My conclusion for their survival was 1) she 
lives in an area of high snow fall, thus ensuring a good snow cover for 
at least three months of the year, and 2) the original clump was planted 
in a sheltered location, close to a large above ground pool.  All of the 
replanted bulbs that survived were also in sheltered areas.  Of the 
three that didn't survive, the homeowner felt that she was directly 
responsible for one plant's demise for she felt she might not have 
planted it deep enough.  The other two were planted in a very open, 
somewhat windy section of the landscape.   And she does not mulch any of 
the plants over winter.

There are probably other factors involved beyond what I observed, but it 
would appear, under the right conditions,  some of these plants just 
might  be hardier than we thought.

Betty

Hamptongar@aol.com wrote:

>In a recent public relations email there was a promotion for a hardy 
>Agapanthus 'Cold Hardy White' from High Country Gardens in New Mexico.  According to 
>their online catalog this plant is hardy to zone 5 with the caveat that the 
>first few winters it should be mulched heavily.  Has any list member in zone 5 or 
>6 grown this plant and could you comment on it?  The area in Africa where the 
>plants are said to originate are quite high (over 11,000 feet) so it would 
>seem quite possible that these plants could be very hardy.  Are they?
>Andrew Messinger
>The Hampton Gardener
>The Hampton Gardener is a Registered Trade Mark
>(Published every Thursday in the Southampton Press)
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