Common name: Yucca, Adam’s Needle, Spanish Bayonet, Roman Candle, Needle Palm
Family: Agavaceae, Agave
Height x width: foliage 2-3’ x 2-3’, flower scape 3-10’ tall
Growth habit: rounded
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: many leaves about 1" wide and up to 2’ long, arising from the base, sharp pointed on ends, margins of leaves with thread-like curly filaments; green, but variegated in some cultivars
Flowers: early to midsummer 3-10’ spikes, upper third to half with long, branched panicle with hanging flowers, nearly white and 1-2" long; cultivar scapes are generally shorter, 3-5’ tall
Hardiness: zones 4-9, cultivars cold-hardy to zones 5-6
Soil: well-drained, light, tolerates drought well
Light: full sun
Pests and Problems: few, occasional leaf blight and spots
Landscape habit, uses: specimen or accent from bold, coarse texture; southwest or xeriphytic gardens
Other interest: common names from sharply spiked leaves, or tall flower scapes; genus name for Manihot which was mistakenly applied to this plant in 17th century; often sweetly night-scented, being pollinated in wild by nocturnal moths; native to the U.S.
Other culture: resents or hard to transplant, to place carefully in the beginning
Propagation: stem cuttings, division of offsets from plant base, seeds (germinate slow, need cool, require 4-5 years before flowering)
Species: of the 40 species, only a few are usually found, with filamentosa the most common, and the species more commonly found than cultivars
filamentosa (fil-a-men-toe’ sah)-- may be called Spoonleaf Yucca from concave or spoon-shaped leaves
filifera (flaccida) (fill-i’ fer’ah)--similar to above, only smaller and more flexible leaves
rostrata (ross-trah’ tah)--Blue Yucca, bluish foliage, less hardy
(zone 7), native to Mexico
Cultivars: variegated cultivars have become popular recently,
some cultivars listed as hybrids have confused parentage; those marked
* may be more commonly seen
| Cultivar | species | leaves | other | |
| ‘Bell Tree’ (‘Schellenbaum’) | hybrid | green | large panicles | |
| 'Bright Edge’ | filamentosa | yellow margins | ||
| ‘Color Guard’ | hybrid | creamy gold centers | zone 6 hardy | |
| ‘Elegantissima’ | filamentosa | blue-green | bright white flowers | |
| ‘Fountain’ (‘Fontane’) | hybrid | green, wide | creamy white, 3’ tall | |
| ‘Garland Gold’ | filifera | wide gold centers | ||
| ‘Giant Bell’ (‘Glockenriese’) | hybrid | green | creamy white, 6’ | |
| ‘Gold Edge’ | hybrid | thin, yellow margins | ||
| ‘Gold Heart’ | filamentosa | creamy yellow centers | ||
| *‘Golden Sword’ | filamentosa | bright yellow centers | ||
| ‘Ivory’ | filifera | green | horizontal, ivory fls | |
| ‘Polar Bear’ (‘Eisbar’) | filamentosa | green | 3 years from seed | |
| ‘Rosenglocken’ | filamentosa | green | pinkish flowers | |
| ‘Snow Fir’ (‘Schneetanne’) | hybrid | green | yellow-white flowers | |
| ‘Snow Spruce’ (‘Schneefichte’) | hybrid | green | white flowers | |
| *‘Variegata’ | filamentosa | white margins |
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