Yucca filamentosa

Botanical Name: Yucca filamentosa

Common Name: Adam’s Needle

Plant Hardiness: Zone 5

Flower: 2 to 4 foot tall spike produces creamy white, pendulous flowers up and down the spike. Very showy

Bloom Time: Mid-July

Foliage: Evergreen swordlike leaves stand stiffly from ground level

Fruit: Light green pods fade to brown by autumn. They are scattered on the persistent flower spike. Best if spike is pruned to improve appearance of the plant

Habit: Low growing evergreen shrub with stiffly erect foliage that bends with age creating a clump

Size: The foliage reaches 2 to 3 feet with a similar spread but the flower spike could reach as high as 6 feet

Sun Exposure: Full sun to full shade

Native Habitat: Southeastern United States and along the Gulf Coast region

Other Features: Tolerant of salt spray and sandy soils

Category: yucca

Description

Description: This member of the lily family is native from North Carolina down to the Gulf Coast; however, it is hardy well up into New England. It has practically no stem and the plant is comprised of succulent, swordlike leaves coming from a central whorl that are quite pointed and sharp at the terminal end. In mid-July, established plants will produce a l to 3 foot tall spike which will produce many creamy white pendulous flowers. These plants are quite hardy if planted in a well drained sandy condition and should spread and multiply. Yucca is used quite often in coastal areas since it is quite tolerant of salt spray and does very well in the sandy soil found in such areas.