Agapanthus That Has Finished Blooming: Should You Prune It or Not?

Agapanthus (African lily or Cape lily) is a beautiful and striking plant. The African lily looks its best whether planted in a nice pot or in the ground. The flower resembles a large ornamental onion in blue (or white). After flowering, graceful seeds form. But should you prune an Agapanthus after it blooms? Is this better for the plant, or is it unnecessary? We’d be happy to tell you more about it.

Agapanthus at a Glance

The African lily (Agapanthus) is characterized by its striking blooms, with blue, purple, or white flowers. The spherical flower heads sit on long stems, rising above the dark green foliage. If you look closely, you’ll see that the flowers themselves are tubular or trumpet-shaped. Agapanthus is not fully hardy, so covering it with a layer of mulch in the winter is definitely recommended. Evergreen Agapanthus is less hardy than deciduous Agapanthus. The African lily blooms in the summer.

Unfortunately, the blooming period itself isn’t very long. After a few weeks, your Agapanthus will finish blooming. The plant will shed the wilted flowers and begin to form seeds. Still, this adds a lot of ornamental value, so you can still enjoy your Agapanthus throughout the entire (late) summer!

Should you prune agapanthus after they bloom?

A common question about Agapanthus is whether you should prune it once the flowers have faded. This is indeed recommended: In most cases, propagation by seed is not the goal. It’s wise to prune your African lily back after flowering. This ensures that all the energy goes to the plant (and its roots) itself, rather than to seed production. This will also allow you to enjoy more and larger flowers again next year. Especially for young plants or Agapanthus with sparse blooms, we definitely recommend pruning the flower stalks after flowering.

By the way, the flower stems with seed heads make a lovely addition to a (dried) bouquet.

Would you like to leave the spent flower stalks on the plant for their decorative value and enjoy them a little longer? If so, keep in mind that this will require more energy from the plant. It’s a good idea to give it some extra care.

Tip: Cut off the bottom of the flower stem and then stick it loosely into the soil. This way, you can enjoy the flower stem with its seeds for quite a while before it wilts. And it won't drain the plant of any more energy.

Agapanthus (African lily) in bloom and after blooming

How should you prune agapanthus after they bloom?

Unlike many perennials, where you simply cut off the flowers, with Agapanthus you don’t just cut off the flower—you cut the flower stalk back to just above the ground. Other than that, Agapanthus requires little to no pruning. If necessary, you can trim away any leaves that have lost their appearance at the base.

Will pruning cause Agapanthus to bloom a second time?

Unfortunately, pruning spent flowers and flower stalks usually does not encourage additional blooming. A good location (plenty of sun and warmth) and sufficient water and nutrients ensure the best and most abundant blooms. Of course, there may still be other flower stalks on your Cape lily. These will still bloom.