Description

Yucca – Hesperoyucca –

This genus is made up of about 40-50 slow growing, rosette forming or woody-based perennials (some species monocarpic), evergreen shrub and erect, eventually spreading, evergreen trees within the Agavaceae family.  They naturally occur in hot, dry, places, such as deserts, and dunes, and plains, in North and Central America and the West Indies.  They are grown for their bold, sword shaped, neatly or loosely rosette leaves, and for their erect or rarely, pendent panicles of bell to cup shaped to hemispherical, cream or white flowers.  Use as architectural specimens in a boarder or courtyard, or in containers.  Where not hardy, grow as a houseplant.

Under glass, grow in soil based potting mix in full light.  When in growth, water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly.  Water sparingly in winter.  Outdoors, grow in any well-drained soil including poor sandy soil, in full sun.  Remove spent flowering stems.

Prone to  cane borers, scale insects,  and fungal leaf spots.

Yucca flaccida –This clump-forming yucca, is found naturally occurring from North Carolina to Alabama and grows 25” tall and 5’ feet wide.  It produces dark blue green leaves, to 25” long fringed with curly or straight threads.  Bears nodding, bell shaped white flowers, 2” long, in upright panicles, to 5’ feet or more long, in mid and late summer.

Zones 5-9