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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Amaryllidaceae (Onions) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Dark Blue |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud' (Dark Blue Agapanthus) - This agapanthus produces luxurious green foliage that tinges purple-red in the winter months. In summer appear the large umbels of deep blue flowers that rise far above the foliage on 3-4 foot tall blackish stems in summer. Plant in full sun or part shade, with moderate water. Hardy to 20-25 degrees F. This cultivar was introduced by the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation who noted in their Storm Cloud flyer that "The original specimen of this plant was a seedling produced by Barrie Coate from the cultivar A. 'Mood Indigo,' a hybrid developed by the Los Angeles State and Country Arboretum by hybridizing A. africanus with A. pendulus, a very dark purple species. The cultivar now called 'Storm Cloud' was selected for its production of 3' to 4' flower stems, 100 flowers per umbel and very dark blue-violet flower color." There is some confusion as the name 'Storm Cloud was also used for a selection of Agapanthus that was made by Jimmy Giridlian of Oakhurst Gardens in 1943. We have made comparisons of plants reputed to be this Giridlian form but in side to side comparisons, these plants appear identical to the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation plant and we feel that Giridlian's plant has likely been lost over the years. Compared to A. 'Ellamae': Storm Cloud is a slightly smaller plant with smaller flowers of a darker blue. The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery and in our own and other Santa Barbara gardens. The name Agapanthus is derived from the Greek words 'agapé', meaning "love" or "friendship" and 'anthos', meaning "flower" and it is for this reason that "Love Flower" is sometimes given as its common name, though there does not seem to be any colloquial usage of this name and the reason for naming as such remains unclear. Some have suggested that the translation could be interpreted as "lovely flower", "flower of love" or if the name originated from the word 'Agapeo' which means "to be contented with" it could just refer to a flower Charles Louis L'Héritier, who first used the name Agapathus, was well pleased with. A good accounting of this is presented by Wim Snoeijer in his Agapanthus: A Revision of the Genus Timber Press 2004 but essentially Carl Linnaeus (the father of modern taxonomy) in 1753 published the name Crinum africanum for a plant likely brought back to Holland from the Cape of Good Hope by 1679. In 1789 Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle, the Director of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, changed the name of this plant to Agapanthus but used the invalid specific epithet umbellatus instead of preserving Linnaeus species name africanus. This mistake has perpetuated naming problems within the genus ever since. In addition the common "Lily of the Nile" is often used for this plant that originated in South Africa and not along the Nile River.
This information about Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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