The British Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) has recently been producing excellent single genus books. Known historically as botanical monographs, the works of the past twenty years give equal importance to horticulture. While the many species are considered for their habitats and qualities, so are the many selected varieties or developed cultivars that are important to gardeners. Illustrations are much more prominent than in older books, and include paintings by botanical artists, contemporary and historical, and excellent photography.
The newest from the RBG is “The Genus Agapanthus” by Graham Duncan, a bulb specialist at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. He brings the expertise of both a gardener and field botanist to this wholly southern Africa genus. I especially appreciated that he begins, after a brief history, with the best choices as garden cultivars. As a gardener, you might stop there, but I encourage you to keep reading as the species descriptions include tips on cultivation, more history, and the beautiful illustrations by present day South African artist Elbe Loubert.
Excerpted from Brian Thompson’s article in the Spring 2023 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin