Agapanthus inapertus Intermedius

The Agapanthus Intermedius is an extraordinary botanical agapanthus known since 1946 but is still rare in cultivation. This stunning plant produces umbels of flowers that start as brilliant and deep violet buds, opening up to a deep blue-violet colour. The flowers are carried by dark stems that emerge from a clump of dark green, ribbon-like foliage marked with brown-purple at the base. This creates a beautiful contrast of colours in summer, and the plant's purple fruiting in autumn adds to its beauty. The deciduous foliage of this variety makes it more hardy, allowing it to adapt well to cultivation in open ground in many regions, provided the soil is well-drained and in full sun.

The Agapanthus inapertus subsp. Intermedius, also known as Agapanthus dyeri, is a bulbous plant that belongs to the Liliaceae family. It originates from the northeast of South Africa, near Mozambique. This plant thrives in meadows and at the edge of forests, mainly in steep rocky areas of the Drakensberg mountains and prefers climates with summer rainfall.

During spring, a wide clump of stiff, linear, dark green foliage about 50 cm (19.7 in) high develops, reaching a spread of 60 cm (23.6 in). Mature plants often have completely deciduous foliage. The characteristic umbels of this species are dense and pendulous, composed of 30 to 40 bright blue-violet flowers on the inside and darker on the outside. These flowers are carried by peduncles of a brown-purple colour, almost black, a shade that can also be found on the upper part of the floral stems. They rise to 70cm (sometimes more on a mature plant), well above the foliage composed of dark green linear leaves, 20-30cm (7.9 - 11.8 in) long and 1.5cm (0.6 in) wide.

The flowering of this plant takes place between July and September, depending on the area. The long, pendulous trumpets, silky and striking, which seem reluctant to open, are a very dark blue-violet and erect in buds, then incline towards the ground. The fruiting of this agapanthus is a beautiful brown-black-purple colour. 
This plant variety is considered semi-evergreen to deciduous and can survive temperatures of around -10°C/-12°C once well established. To ensure its survival, it should be planted in a pot that can be stored indoors during winter and placed on a sunny terrace in summer or open ground in a warm location with fresh, well-drained soil. It thrives in various settings, including by the sea, an English cottage, and a contemporary-style city garden. Its dark colour contrasts sharply with white flowers such as gauras, camassias, lavateras, or cleomes. The flowers can also be cut and arranged in a vase, bringing a unique touch to any home.