Black Magic Agapanthus

Black Magic Agapanthus (Agapanthus 'Black Magic') is the darkest agapanthus most gardens will ever hold: near black violet buds opening to heads of deep blue purple on stems about 80cm tall. The strappy clump beneath stays around 60cm wide, and it carries the toughness the genus is famous for, taking heat, drought, salt spray, frost and poor soil once established. For a border with drama rather than the usual pale blue, this is the one.

Why you'll love it

• Colour nothing else in the border offers. The buds are so dark they read as black, opening to saturated purple blue heads that hold their depth in full sun.
• Genuinely tough. Heat, drought, coastal salt, frost and poor soil are all tolerated, so it performs in the hard strip along a driveway as well as a pampered bed.
• Bees and butterflies work it. The summer heads feed pollinators for weeks.
• Order in the garden. Evergreen strappy foliage keeps a border looking furnished between flushes, with no staking and no fuss.
• Repeats beautifully. At 40cm spacing it makes the kind of massed ribbon planting designers rely on.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart along paths, fences and driveways. The clumps close into a continuous line within two seasons.

Mass planting. The same 40cm spacing in blocks gives a low maintenance sheet of dark flower through summer, striking against silver or lime foliage.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerance makes it a frontline performer where onshore wind burns fussier perennials.

Pots and feature clumps. A trio in a wide bowl reads as a single generous clump by the second year.

Growing Black Magic Agapanthus in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the strongest flowering, light shade at a cost of a few stems. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens; the humid wet tropics are the one place we do not recommend it.

Soil. Almost anything that drains, including poor sandy and gravelly ground. Improved soil grows a bigger clump faster, but it is not required.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A single spring application of slow release fertiliser is plenty.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems at the base once they finish. Removing the heads before they set seed keeps clumps tidy and prevents unwanted seedlings, which matters near bushland.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Black Magic as tube stock: small, well rooted young plants that are the economical way to plant a border or a massed drift. Expect tubes to spend their first season building roots and foliage, with most reaching flowering size by their second summer in the ground. Tubes travel securely and arrive ready to plant. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full agapanthus collection.
• Plan a drift with our mass planting range.
• Pair it with other plants for coastal areas.
• See more drought tolerant plants.

Common questions

Is it safe for pets?

No. Like all agapanthus, the plant is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, with the sap and rhizome the main risk. Most pets ignore it, but avoid it if yours chews garden plants.

How far apart should I plant tubes?

40cm apart for a solid border or mass planting. That looks sparse on planting day and correct within two seasons; closer spacing just crowds the clumps.

When will tube stock flower?

Usually from the second summer, once the crown has built enough foliage to fuel flower stems. A sunny position and a spring feed bring that timing forward.

Does it handle frost?

Yes, it is frost hardy and reliable in cool temperate gardens. In severe inland frost the foliage may mark over winter, and the clump recovers in spring.

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.