Agapanthus ‘Baby Blue’

Agapanthus 'Baby Blue' (Agapanthus africanus 'Baby Blue') is the dwarf form to use where the full sized agapanthus would be too coarse. It holds at roughly 0.5m tall and 0.5m wide, with strappy evergreen leaves and soft blue flower heads through summer. Planted 40cm apart it makes a tidy, even border that asks for almost nothing once established.

Why you'll love it

• It stays small. At half a metre it edges a path without flopping over the concrete the way taller agapanthus does.
• Genuinely low maintenance. Drought tolerant once established, happy in poor soil, and it asks for no more than a tidy up once a year.
• Built for exposed sites. Salt and heat tolerant, so it holds up on coastal blocks, hot driveways and west facing beds.
• Bees and butterflies work the flowers. The blue heads carry nectar through summer, and they cut well for the house.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart in a single row for an unbroken edge. At that spacing the clumps touch by the second summer with no bare gaps.

Mass planting and slopes. Use the same 40cm spacing across a bank or a retaining wall face. The fibrous roots knit the surface together and hold mulch on ground that would otherwise wash.

Pots and coastal gardens. It is reliable in a container 300mm or wider, and it takes salt laden wind, which puts it on the short list for a beachside front garden.

Growing Agapanthus 'Baby Blue' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, though it accepts part shade with fewer blooms. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and takes light frost once established. Hard frosting inland districts want the crown mulched through winter.

Soil. Almost any soil that drains. It copes with sand and poor ground, but it will rot in a bed that stays wet, so raise the planting on heavy clay.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A handful of complete fertiliser in early spring is enough, and too much nitrogen gives you leaves instead of flowers.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems at the base once the colour goes, which keeps it tidy and stops it setting seed. Pull off tired outer leaves in late winter and divide congested clumps every four or five years.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it as tube stock, in 140mm pots in packs of ten and in 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are the value option for a long border and catch up within a season. The 200mm plants are established clumps and the pick if you want flowers in the first summer.

Strappy leaves may arrive creased from transit, which is cosmetic and grows out. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect new leaves within four to six weeks in the growing season, and a full border by the second summer, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• See the full agapanthus range.
• Browse salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens.
• Read our guide to choosing edging plants.
• Compare plants for retaining walls and slopes.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres apart for a continuous border. Wider spacing leaves gaps that weeds find first, and closer planting only makes the clumps compete.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The sap and roots are toxic to pets and the sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when dividing and keep it away from a dog that digs.

Why is it not flowering?

Usually too much shade, too much nitrogen, or a clump divided too recently. Give it full sun, feed lightly in spring and let it settle for a season.

Does it cope with frost?

It handles light frost once established. Where frosts are hard and repeated, mulch over the crown for winter or grow it in a pot that can be moved.

Western Australia: this plant is listed as an environmental weed in WA, where it escapes from gardens into bushland. We do not recommend it for WA gardens. Please choose a local alternative.