Agapanthus ‘Bingo White’

Agapanthus 'Bingo White' (Agapanthus africanus 'Bingo White') is the compact white agapanthus for gardeners who want the flower without the bulk. It holds at about 60cm tall in flower and 50cm across, roughly half the size of the old roadside agapanthus, so it suits a real garden bed rather than a highway verge. Clean white heads sit above evergreen strappy foliage through summer, and the plant asks almost nothing of you.

Why you'll love it

• Compact, not sprawling. At 60cm by 50cm it stays in proportion at the front of a bed instead of swallowing its neighbours.
• Clean white flowers. Rounded heads on straight stems through summer, sitting well against dark foliage, render or stone.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, which is why it survives exposed coastal gardens.
• Evergreen structure. The strappy foliage holds shape all year, so the border still reads as designed in winter.
• Low maintenance. Cut the spent stems, divide every four or five years, and that is the entire job.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a full border. At that spacing the clumps meet within two seasons and read as a continuous ribbon rather than a row of dots.

Mass planting. Use the same 40cm centres across a bank or a strip beside a driveway. It is one of the few plants that will hold a hot dry slope and still flower.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance makes it a front line coastal plant, and a 300mm to 400mm pot suits a single clump on a balcony or by a doorway.

Growing agapanthus in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the most flower heads, though it accepts part shade with fewer. It is at home in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and frost hardy enough for cold southern districts once established.

Soil. Almost anything that drains, including sand and light clay. It is not fussy, and improving the soil heavily tends to produce more leaf and fewer flowers.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A light application of a complete fertiliser in early spring is enough. Overfeeding is the usual reason a clump goes all leaf.

Pruning and tidying. Cut spent flower stems off at the base once the heads brown. This keeps it looking sharp and stops seed setting, which matters because agapanthus self seeds into bushland in some districts. Divide congested clumps in autumn or early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in three sizes: tube, 140mm in packs of ten, and 200mm in packs of six. Tube stock is the value choice for a long border or a mass planting, and establishes quickly because the root system is fleshy and resilient. The 200mm plants are larger clumps, more likely to flower in their first summer.

Agapanthus travels better than almost any plant we send. The leaves may be trimmed for transit, which does no harm. Expect the first proper flowering season in the second summer from tube stock. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full agapanthus range
• Choosing the right edging plants
• Plants that handle a coastal position
• Compare salt tolerant plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres apart for a solid border. For a looser look with visible mulch between clumps, stretch it to 50cm. Any wider and it never reads as a continuous planting.

Is it invasive like the common agapanthus?

Compact cultivars set far less viable seed than the old tall types, but the risk is not zero. Cut spent flower heads off before they dry and it will not self seed into surrounding bushland.

Is it safe around pets and children?

No. All parts of an agapanthus are toxic if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin and eyes. Wear gloves when dividing clumps, and plant it away from areas where pets or small children graze.