Meaning & use
agapanthus
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A southern African plant with long strap-shaped leaves and round clusters of blue or white trumpet-shaped flowers on tall stems.
Grammar: Countable for individual plants: three agapanthuses; uncountable as a general term: agapanthus grows well here.
The agapanthus along the fence bloomed in July.
We planted agapanthus in large pots by the front door.
Her garden was full of blue agapanthus in midsummer.
Word forms
| plural | agapanthuses |
|---|
Common combinations
- agapanthus flowers
- The agapanthus flowers attracted bees all afternoon.
- a clump of agapanthus
- A clump of agapanthus stood beside the gate.
- plant agapanthus
- You should plant agapanthus in a sunny spot.
- divide agapanthus
- Divide agapanthus in spring when the clumps become crowded.
Synonyms and how they differ
- African lily
- African lily is the common name for the same plant, though it is not a true lily.
- lily of the Nile
- Lily of the Nile is another popular name, and it is slightly old-fashioned compared with agapanthus.
Word family
- agape noun
- selfless love, from the same Greek root as the first part of the name
- anthos noun
- the Greek word for flower, the second part of the name
Commonly confused: agapanthus or acanthus?
agapanthus vs acanthus
Acanthus is a different plant with spiny leaves, often copied in classical architecture; agapanthus has blue flower heads.
Practice
Which plant is known for tall stems topped with round clusters of blue flowers?
Choose one answer.
Agapanthus has globe-shaped blue flower heads. Acanthus is a tempting wrong choice because it sounds similar, but it is known for its leaves.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “agapanthus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.