A Grumpy Summer Sizzler -- Yucca
Happy July 4, everyone! Since so many of you will be standing over hot coals today grilling out, I thought there could be no better time to continue my series on plants that love it hot and dry (just like my sister-in-law, Penny, likes her steak!). So let's talk about yuccas.
Although yuccas are often thought of as desert plants, in fact they grow over much of North and South America. Their cold-hardiness depends on the species. For example, the one shown above, 'Bright Edge" Adam's needle (Yucca filamentosa 'Bright Edge') is cold-hardy as far north as Wisconsin. But I photographed it at the U.S. Embassy in Belize, Central America, just before I was kicked out of the country for dancing the Macarena with the ambassador's wife. What can I say? My bad.
Kinds of Yucca
There are dozens of species, but you can divide them into two groups. The first, like Adam's needle and curve-leaf yucca (Y. recurvifolia) are stemless. They basically form a big clump. The second and larger group, including Spanish bayonet (Y. aloifolia) and twisted-leaf yucca (Y. rupicola), form trunks and grow into large shrubs or small trees.
Variegated mound-lily yucca (Photo courtesy of Yucca-Do)
Flowers and Foliage
Flowers and foliage are why you grow yuccas. On most species, statuesque spikes of white, bell-shaped, sometimes fragrant blooms stand up to 6 feet above the foliage in spring and summer. Flowers don't get much showier. The long, sword-shaped leaves are also striking and may be green, blue-green, or blue-gray and striped with cream, pink, or gold. The leaves of some species, like curve-leaf yucca and mound-lily yucca (Y. gloriosa) have soft tips. The sharp tips of others, such as Spanish bayonet, are potentially lethal. The latter is a good one to plant under your daughter's window to impale burglars and sneaky, no-good boyfriends.
How to Grow
The most important thing yuccas need is good drainage. They will rot if planted in heavy, wet soil. Yuccas prefer full sun, although I've found they'll take part sun too. Because they store water in their leaves, once established yuccas need little if any water other than natural rainfall. They don't mind humid, high-rainfall areas, though, as long as the soil is porous and fast-draining. Try to keep their foliage dry. Leaves that stay wet can develop leaf spots and other fungal diseases.
Where to Buy
Many garden centers carry yuccas. In Grumpy's experience, the easiest ones to find are Adam's needle (particularly 'Bright Edge' and 'Color Guard'), mound-lily yucca, and curve-leaf yucca (such as 'Banana Split'). If you can't find them locally, however, try Yucca-Do, a mail-order nursery specializing in heat-tolerant, low-water plants. Plant Delights Nursery is another excellent mail-order source.
Next Summer Sizzler:
Purple Heart
