Yucca filamentosa

Yucca filamentosa

Common name: Adam's needle, Spanish sword

Family name: Asparagaceae

Leaf: basal rosette of rigid, sword-shaped, spine-tipped green leaves, up to 30" long, with long filamentous curved threads along the margins, foliage clump is 2-3.5' tall

Flowers: solo stalk, rising dramatically from the center of the clump, usually 5-8' tall, a terminal panicle of pendulous bell-shaped creamy-white flowers, showy 

Fruit: capsule

Height: 4-8'; Spread: 2-3'

Habit: nearly stemless/stalkless broadleaf evergreen shrub; Form: mounded

Culture: Grow in light, dry to medium soils in full sun. Tolerant of poor, sandy soils. Sometimes exhibits tolerance of part shade. Keep in mind that once you plant this, and it is established, it will be nearly impossible to get rid of- it has extremely deep roots and can regrow from those. After flowering, it will produce offsets and thereby slowly colonize. It will only flower rigourously after it has become a bigger, mature clump. 'Golden Sword' variety is variegated, and can sometimes revert back. Winter hardy in USDA zones 5-10.

Uses: Borders, dry garden areas, dry slopes, rock gardens, adds architerctural height and definition/anchoring in a space.

Origin: United States

Y. filamentosa 'Golden Sword'