Agapanthus ‘Bingo Blue’

Agapanthus 'Bingo Blue' (Agapanthus 'Bingo Blue') is the compact, low seeding selection that answers the two real objections to agapanthus: the old forms get too big, and they seed everywhere. This one holds at about 600mm tall and 500mm across, with rounded heads of true blue through summer. Planted 40cm apart it makes one of the toughest low borders you can buy.

Why you'll love it

• Low seeding, by selection. It sets very little viable seed, so it does not colonise the way older agapanthus does along roadsides and creek lines.
• Compact enough for a real border. At 600mm tall it edges a path or a driveway without leaning across it, which the 1.2m forms always end up doing.
• It survives what kills other borders. Drought, heat, salt spray, poor soil and frost. There is not much left on the list.
• Evergreen, and busy with insects. The neat green clump does the work for nine months, and each summer head is dozens of small nectar rich trumpets that bees and butterflies work hard.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart in a single row. That spacing closes into a continuous ribbon of foliage within two seasons, with no gaps for weeds to take.

Mass planting and driveways. Hold the same 40cm spacing across a bank or along both sides of a drive. It copes with reflected heat off concrete.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance suits an exposed beachside block, and three plants fill a 400mm pot. It flowers better slightly root bound, so leave it undisturbed.

Growing agapanthus in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering, though it accepts a few hours of shade. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi arid gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold inland and southern gardens are no problem. In the wet tropics humidity brings on leaf spotting.

Soil. Almost anything with drainage, including poor and sandy ground. It will not accept waterlogging, so on heavy clay plant on a raised mound.

Water and feed. Water twice weekly for the first two months, then only through prolonged dry weather. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough, and too much nitrogen gives leaves instead of flowers.

Pruning. Cut the spent flower stems at the base once the heads brown, and divide congested clumps every four or five years if flowering thins out.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of ten and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are the value option for a long driveway run and usually flower in their second summer. The 140mm and 200mm plants are established clumps, and many flower in their first season if planted before spring.

Strappy foliage travels well, and bent leaves can be trimmed without harming the plant. Keep the crown at soil level rather than buried, and expect roots to take hold within a month. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full agapanthus range
• Plants for mass planting
• Drought tolerant plants for a dry summer
• Plants that thrive in poor soil

Common questions

How many plants do I need per metre?

Two and a half per metre at 40cm spacing, so a pack of ten covers four metres of single row. For a bed, allow about six plants per square metre in a staggered double row.

Will it spread into the bush like older agapanthus?

'Bingo Blue' is a low seeding selection, which is the whole reason to choose it over an old fashioned form. Cut the spent heads off before they dry and you remove almost all remaining risk.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

No. Agapanthus sap and rhizomes are toxic to cats and dogs, and the sap can irritate skin, so we do not list it as pet friendly. Wear gloves when dividing.