Agapanthus

Agapanthus praecox is a popular garden plant worldwide, especially in Mediterranean climates, native to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It is a perennial that can live up to 75 years, with evergreen leaves about 50 centimetres long and umbels of blue, purple or white flowers from late spring to summer, followed by capsules of black seeds. It has three subspecies, and most cultivated agapanthus are hybrids or cultivars of it. Local names include agapant, bloulelie, isicakathi and ubani. Among the Xhosa of the Eastern Cape, isicakathi is the name for plants used in pre-natal and post-natal medicine, and Agapanthus praecox is one of eleven species placed under it. It is taken by pregnant women, as water the plant has stood in, from the sixth month until delivery, and its growth is believed to show the health of the unborn child, its wilting being read as a sign of the baby's death. It is also given to children so that they are strong and free of bowel problems and head crusts.