What are these please?

[Knittedfairies]

I've got about a dozen of these blue flowers, about a foot tall, spindly stem and hardly any leaf. Plantsnap identified them as some sort of triteleia, but I'm not sure that's right. I definitely haven't planted them, or set seeds, so I'm hoping someone can identify them for me. Thank you.

(Even if it turns out to be a weed I'm keeping them because they're pretty)

Another picture

I think plantsnap is right - the leaves die back just as the flowers come in.

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen those before - what a lovely thing to appear unexpectedly! But how odd... have you lived there long?

www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/18431/i-Triteleia-laxa-i/Details

Ooo I think it's an agapanthus just coming into flower actually... I could be wrong but the flowers and the buds look bang on to me - the leaves would all be at the bottom, strap-like leaves.

@MereDintofPandiculation is an expert on things gardening. MereDintofPandiculation - what do you think, agapanthus or triteleia, or something else? I'm doubting myself now having looked again!

I'm certain it's not agapanthus, much as I'd like it to be! We had some work done in the garden three years ago, and had several loads of topsoil delivered - and that's where these plants are. There may have been a couple last year, but definitely more this year. (We've lived here 38 years, so I would have noticed them before...)

Ah ok. I got a bit excited there, I'm very fond of agapanthuses.

Another vote for agapanthus...

I vote for Triteieia, they got them in my neighbours garden. Agapanthus have long leaves and the bud come from the centre of the leaves.

*they’ve

I’m also certain it’s not an agapanthus variety. (My favourite garden plant!)

Definitely triteleia ( Brodiaea)
Agapanthus have much thicker stems and the flowers are more plentiful.

Looks like a brodacia to me. Very pretty and a lovely surprise for you.

Absolutely not an agapanthus! I vote for triteleia too.

The corms must have arrived in the topsoil, and gradually got to the top! How cool is that?

I haven't grown either! Googling, I'm not sure you can tell which from that picture - the flower shapes are very similar, although the plants aren't that closely related. Agapanthus is in the daffodil family, and Tritelia is in the asparagus family. Agapanthus leaves look broader, reminiscent of Hippeastrum, and it grows from a rhizome. Tritelis seems to have slightly narrower leaves and it grows from a corm.

I've got a agapanthus, it's got loads of leaves with the flower bud stems coming through at the moment - I reckon it's the difference in how and when the leaves grow which is distinctive.

The shape of the flowerhead and leaves look completely wrong for agapanthus, to me. ((squints))

It's definitely Brodeaia.

Pics for comparison.

Oops should have said agapanthus on left.

Brodeia is also used as a common name to refer to Tritelia (they are both in the asparagus family).

I don't think it's as clear cut as Lady suggests. There are Agapanthus pictures from reputable sources which look much more like the OPs plant, and the plant descriptions don't give much to go on based on easily visible flower characters (as opposed to things you would see by dissecting the flower). Seeing the leaves, and whether it's growing from a rhizome or a corm, would help enormously.

I'm almost certain it's not any type of agapanthus. There aren't many leaves to photograph, hence the terrible picture (ignore the rain guage and weed seedlings...) The leaves are long and strappy: almost daffodil-like.

I'm still team triteleia. The leaf is aganpanthus shape, but there don't seem to be anywhere like enough fo them (agapanthus produce clumps of leaves) and it's simply too short (I think) to be an agapanthus - even smaller varieties would be far more than a foot tall.

campanula persicifolia?

Absolutely, definitely Triteleia.