This Florida (and Southeastern and
Southwestern) native is one of the most widely planted yuccas - for a good
reason: Adam's Needle is probably the most cold-hardy among yuccas, brings
Southwestern ambiance to your garden and thrives in most zones
across the North America.
Description:
Yucca (manihot or cassava) filamentosa,
sometimes also called "bear grass" is a stemless plant. Stiff leaves form
grayish-green basal rosette which adds bold architectural statement and a
desert-like touch to the landscape.
Leaves are about 2.5' long,
approximately 1" wide, lance-shaped, sharp tipped, sometimes with threaded edges.
Evergreen.
Blooms are white to yellowish, nodding
from up to 6' tall stems in late spring to early summer. The petals are
lightly scented and edible.
Propagation:
Adam's Needle is herblike perennial,
easily grown from seed. In wild it grows in Florida's sandy ridges and
hammocks; it prefers full sun or broken shade under tall pine and oak
trees.
This yucca dislikes transplanting but
grows surprisingly fast after germination from the seed. However, it might
take quite a few years before it will first start blooming. After that,
you will have a reliable, hardy bloomer for many years.
Well drained, sandy soil for
Yucca filamentosa is your best bet, although it easily adapts to a wide
variety of garden soils. Water with moderation.
Landscape uses:
showy perennial, great for beds and
borders, rock gardens, foundation planting, ground cover and erosion
control
blooms attract hummingbirds and
butterflies
seed-heads provide interest to the
winter landscape
drought tolerant - featured in
xeriscape gardening
great for coastal gardens due to its
high salt tolerance
carefree plant, easy to propagate
succulent (stores water in juicy leaves
to withstand a period of drought) with high decorative value
evergreen with grayish-green leaves
every now and then yucca filamentosa
can be found in the nurseries
readily grows in pots, even indoors -
near a sunny window
keep it (plant it) away from the areas
that get the most walking traffic, with other low-maintenance plants (like
threadleaf coreopsis)
