Agapanthus plants are by no means unattractive plants. Every part of these plants can be uniquely distinguished from your typical garden plants. But, be warned they don’t come cheap!
Agapanthus can be expensive because of their foliage and flower appearance, maturity, form (seeds/live plants), tolerance to sun and heat, and genetic enhancements.
If you are in the market to purchase agapanthus plants, read on to find out what factors make agapanthus so expensive.
#1) Mature Plants Cost More
If you’ve ever planted an agapanthus plant before, you might be aware of how long it takes agapanthus to flower. A leading reason why agapanthus is so expensive is the time taken to flower.
Plants that bloom sooner than the others will always undoubtedly attract a higher price tag! It’s just a fact that should be accepted.
Agapanthus grown from seeds require a minimum of 4 years to flower. While mature agapanthus needs a year or two to flower.
It’s obvious nobody wants to wait four years for their agapanthus plants. This is exactly why someone wouldn’t mind paying for expensive agapanthus plants that are guaranteed to flower in less time than seed-grown plants.
Seen some loopy agapanthus flowers? Find out why agapanthus flowers flop.
#2) Divided Plants Cost More Than Seeds
Agapanthus are mostly divided and sold instead of growing them from their seeds and then selling them.
You might be wondering why do this, and why are these divided agapanthuses so expensive? The truth is that divided agapanthus and agapanthus grown from seed vary greatly in terms of genetic combination.
Seed-grown agapanthus plants look nothing like their parent plant and lack their perfect genetic combination. They have scraggly thin leaves and may not flower as expected.
On the other hand, divided agapanthus plants still have the same genetic combination as the mother plants.
Hence, they are stronger and more appealing which makes these agapanthus expensive, at least more than agapanthus grown from seed.
If you are planning to buy agapanthus, buy divided agapanthus instead of the poorer-looking seed-grown agapanthus.
Also, read our blog about where to buy agapanthus and factors to consider.
#3) Genetically Modified Agapanthus Cultivars Can Be Costly!
If you have done your homework you would have noticed how appealing these agapanthus flowers are. The flower heads bear several smaller flowers and are the main attraction of this heat-tolerant plant.
Because there is such high demand for this plant due to its flowers, genetically modified agapanthus are available. These feature different flower colors and even different flowering habits!
Cultivars with different colors will also carry varying prices. The rarest or most appealing agapanthus are expensive. Whereas, common colored agapanthus are not as expensive.
Also, agapanthus is either reblooming or non-reblooming and they are priced accordingly. Guess which agapanthus cost more? The reblooming agapanthus is more expensive because it blooms continuously throughout the blooming period.
That means you can deadhead it after the flowers die off and experience a bloom or two again.
How often do non-reblooming agapanthus bloom? Once a year, for a few weeks, and deadheading won’t change this.
#4) Beautiful Unique Flowers
It doesn’t take two glances to realize that agapanthus flowers aren’t like any of your common garden plants.
Everything down from the roots to the strap-like foliage and flowers is unique. Such a different appearance is another reason why agapanthus is so expensive.
When placed among other plants, agapanthus automatically catches eyes like a magnet. They stand out from the rest of the plants and are hard to forget. That’s just talking about the leaves and not yet the flowers.
Agapanthus flower heads are a collection of smaller flowers that appear in a 3-dimensional globe shape. Naturally, this means that there are a lot more flowers than other plants during the flowering season. Especially seeing that agapanthus can grow quite bushy and flower profusely.
#5) Tolerant to Sun and Heat
In the USA, the majority of states have medium to moderate temperatures with quite hardy cold-tolerant plants.
However, there are a few states that differ greatly and have much higher temperatures, and are not so frosty. These conditions are ideal for agapanthus but not many other plants.
The prices of agapanthus plants can be quite high. Because agapanthus grows in hotter areas that are not prevalent in the USA. Thus, they may not be widely cultivated and are subject to availability issues.
As a result, depending on where you live and what local cultivators cultivate, agapanthus could attract quite a hefty price tag! This specifically applies if your locale is not that appropriate for growing agapanthus.
Areas that may suit agapanthus plants fine are Florida, Texas, California, and other states that usually experience USDA zones 9 and above. Zones lower than this will probably have to protect their agapanthus from cold and frost in winter.
Doing so is important seeing as agapanthus is not so cold-tolerant. Replacing all your agapanthus can be expensive so you’ll want to avoid it!
How Expensive Are Agapanthus?
Now, for the question on everyone’s mind, how much do agapanthus cost? Are agapanthus plants so expensive?
Live agapanthus plants can cost as much as $23 or as much as $51 for a single plant depending on size and cultivar.
Otherwise, finding agapanthus seeds and bulbs is a lot easier and cheaper on Amazon and other online platforms. You could also visit your local department store such as Home Depot to pick up agapanthus in all its forms.
Note- Even though agapanthus seeds and bulbs are cheaper, they may take longer to grow. Besides, you don’t know what they would look like and if they are even worth their price!
Conclusion
Agapanthus plants are expensive because firstly, they are not an indigenous species in the USA and a host of other European countries. They originate in Southern Africa and grow quite well in Australia given their similarities with this plant’s native place.
Secondly, these plants have a unique appearance and high tolerance toward heat and the sun’s intensity.
Different agapanthus cost varying prices based on:
- Maturity of the plant
- Origin- seed or divided
- Genetic enhancements
Also, your location will decide how rare or easily available these plants are and thus will decide how expensive agapanthus are. If you are in a USDA zone 10 and above, you will probably easily find these plants and that too at a cheaper price.
FAQs
To make your agapanthus last longer, you must take care of them and provide them with everything they need for optimal growth. Also, carry out timely deadheading and dividing to extend the lifespan of your agapanthus.
The best place to plant agapanthus plants is to ensure flowers are in full sun to partial shade. Providing these plants with everything they need will allow them to flower for several weeks at a time.
Agapanthus can flower once a year or up to three times a year depending on which variant it is. The non-reblooming variant will bloom only once a year while the reblooming variant will bloom two to three times a year during its flowering period.
But, deadheading is essential in making sure the plant will flower the maximum number of times.
