Where to Buy Agapanthus? Factors to Consider Before Buying

Agapanthus plants are definitely a must-have if you live in warm and sunny areas. It is green, relatively hardy, and has scenic flowers. But, if you don’t already have them, you will want to know where to buy agapanthus.

You can buy agapanthus from a variety of places, like your nearby local nurseries, department/gardening stores, online stores, and even your neighbors! All you need is a bulb. 

Places to Buy Agapanthus Plants

So, you have decided to add Agapanthus to your garden.

And you should have researched a bit about its placement in your garden, factoring things such as the soil type, and how many hours of sun it would receive? There are also quite some varieties of agapanthus to choose from. 

So now all that’s left is where to source your agapanthus. To help you out, we have listed a few places where you can find them. Based on where is more convenient, you can now make agapanthus your own. 

Before you plant agapanthus, read this: Are agapanthus roots invasive? 

#1- Local Nurseries 

Any nursery nearby would be a good place to start your search for an agapanthus. The staff are experienced and would be able to help you choose the right variety if you are unsure. 

Also, they can tell you how many plants you would need for the place you have allotted to them. You could visit one or two nurseries before finally deciding on where you want to buy from.

The cost must also be taken into consideration depending on where you live. 

Get all the reasons why your agapanthus is not flowering + solutions. 

#2- Department/Gardening Stores

These are basically specialized gardening outlets that have everything you need for growing plants, plants included. 

If you want to get your agapanthus plants and the necessary equipment and materials, going to a specialized garden department store is the most ideal. 

#3- Online Stores

If you don’t want to go out to get your plant, you can get it online! It’s not odd, everyone loves to shop from the comfort of their homes.

You can turn to the internet, and buy your agapanthus on online stores, such as Amazon and eBay to name a few. 

Amazon – Check here

There are also online plant nurseries that you can access on the internet. In fact, several nurseries in the USA are internet only.

The advantage of this is that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home. Once payment is complete, you can expect the plants at your door in a few days’ time.

#4- Neighbors

Maybe you won’t even have to pay much at all if your neighbors are growing agapanthus plants! 

Perhaps you have been peeping over the wall, into your neighbor’s yard, and fell in love with the agapanthus there. It would help if they were willing to give you a few rhizomes to start you off.

If your neighbors are friendly and you both share a passion for plants, you can do a plant swap. 

Otherwise, maybe you can get away with paying a minimal amount of money. The advantage of getting your agapanthus from a neighbor is that you are assured of the color and variety.

Why are Agapanthus plants a weed? How to control African Lilies?

How to Decide Where to Buy Agapanthus?

What is convenient for you, is what you should consider. The variety of agapanthus that you would like to purchase should be suited to your garden soil, or perhaps you just want a few rhizomes for a plant box.

In which case, you can take a less hardy plant that can be brought into the house over winter.

Price

Price matters if you plan on planting several beds, as opposed to a few plants for a pot. Whether you want a cheaper plant or not will guide your choice of where you eventually buy the plant from. 

If you don’t want to spend too much money, you will have to set a budget and stick to it! Look for sales and deals that will allow you to get the best bargain, some plants aren’t cheap! 

Even if you can only afford one plant, it will surely divide in a year or two. Thus, you can separate and plant these and plant them individually.

Live Plants or Bulbs? 

Next, you have to pick what form of the plant you want. This may also depend on where you buy agapanthus from. Some vendors may only deal in bulbs, seeds or plants, or a combination of options. 

Generally, live plants or bulbs are the best options. They are easier to plant and more likely to survive than seeds. Also, growing the plants from seeds will take a longer time to establish and flower. 

Colors and Varieties

The agapanthus plant originates from South Africa, it is a hardy plant that displays blue flowers in the summer. But, nowadays, there are so many cultivars to choose from, most have slightly different colors. 

  • Cultivars TINKERBELL and STREAMLINE have flowers that are pale blue to a grayish-blue.
  • Then there is PETER PAN, BLUE GIANT, and BLUE TRIUMPHATOR with shades of medium blue, with hints of cobalt and cerulean.
  • Agapanthus africanus, Agapanthus caulescens and Agapanthus inapertus typically produce dark blue colored flowers.
  • There are some Agapanthus plants that are such a dark blue so as to border on violet. Some of the cultivars that have this violet color are, BLUESTORM, MOOD INDIGO and STORM CLOUD.
  • There are quite a lot of white cultivars for Agapanthus, such as SNOWY OWL, ALBUS, and SNOWSTORM to name a few.

Note- Be warned, the rarer and more appealing cultivars are bound to be more costly and prone to limited availability. 

Also, these highly demanded cultivars can’t be bought everywhere! You’ll have to research where to buy agapanthus cultivars that are rarer. 

Plant Size/Maturity

It is likely that mature plants are more hardy than smaller agapanthus plants. If you have rather harsh conditions in your area, you will need hardy plants that can survive better.

Larger-sized plants are the hardier of the two plant sizes. This should be your first choice of plant. Unless you have a shortage of space initially.

Quality of Plant

If you want the highest quality agapanthus plants, you have to select a reputable cultivator. Getting one from a cultivator that has licenses and even awards would be most desirable if possible. 

There would be no questioning the quality of plants purchased from such vendors. Each state has its own specialty breeders. Buying poor-quality plants can result in short-lived plants or plants that are easily struck by diseases and pests.  

If plant quality is of the highest concern to you, you should put a bit more time into searching for a quality nursery. 

Additional Items

Are you looking for flower pots and special soil? If so, this will influence where you buy your agapanthus from. 

Getting everything from the same place would be a blessing in disguise. It would save time and money!

Conclusion

Where you will buy your agapanthus plants will greatly depend on a few factors such as price, plant form (live plants/bulbs), colors and varieties, plant size, and additional requirements you may need.

Once you finish up with the basics, you have several options of where to purchase agapanthus plants.

The most common places where you can get agapanthus plants are:

  1. Local nurseries
  2. Department/gardening stores
  3. Online stores
  4. Neighbors 

Once you have your agapanthus bulbs, plants, or seeds, you can plant them. But, you may not see flowers till the second or even third year.

Here, patience will have to pay off depending on what decision you have made with regard to where you have bought your plants from! 

Planted your agapanthus, but having growing woes already? Here are tips to stop Agapanthus leaves turning yellow.  

FAQs

Should I buy Agapanthus seeds or live Agapanthus plants/bulbs? 

Agapanthus bulbs and rhizomes will grow faster than agapanthus seeds. So, only buy agapanthus seeds if you are in it for the long haul and don’t mind slow growing.
But, if you want the plant to grow fast and flower in the shortest time, plants and bulbs are definitely your best option. Also, how soon you want flowers will affect the final decision.

When to plant Agapanthus? 

It is best to plant Agapanthus in the spring after winter frost has passed. This is because these plants are extremely intolerant to cold (frost). If you live in warmer climates, you can plant them in late winter or even the fall. 

What USDA zones can Agapanthus grow in?

Agapanthus are best to grow in USDA zones 9 to 11. However, these plants will need extensive protection against cold and frost.
They will have to be brought indoors or else you should protect them by covering them against the elements. You can use burlap or another inventive method that allows air circulation.