This heart-shaped mature Yucca aloifolia, Spanish bayonet, is drought, salt and freeze tolerant throughout Florida in USDA cold zones 6–11. It is a host plant for two Florida butterfly caterpillars — Yucca Giant Skipper and Cofaqui Skipper.
Huge spikes of flowers grow at the tips of Yucca aloifolia (Spanish bayonet) plant stems in spring and summer. Fragrant Yucca flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds but are mostly pollinated by bees and moths.
This large group of Yucca aloifolia grew as part of a privacy screen and to deter foot traffic along Pine Ridge Boulevard in Citrus County. The oldest and biggest trunks were eventually removed as smaller younger stems were preferred by the homeowner. It perfumed the entire corner garden when in bloom.
In the southwestern arid U.S. states, endemic Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, really can grow tree-sized — up to 20 feet tall. It is the iconic emblem of Joshua Tree National Park in California. In April, the western Joshua tree, one of two similar species, was petitioned to be legally protected under California’s state Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently denied a similar petition under the federal act.
After flowering and being pollinated, large fleshy fruits develop on Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia). The flowers and fruit from Yucca Joshua trees are edible.
Joshua trees may look top-heavy, but they have a wide-spreading root system, reaching to 36 inches long. Of the two recognized varieties, one is taller and slimmer than the other.
Joshua trees’ thick, short leaves conserve water and resist evaporation. The old leaves persist on the trunks to deter predators and shade the trunk from the harsh desert sun. Although it grows in cold zones 8a–9a, this Yucca needs a dry summer climate, so would not survive torrid Florida summer rainy season.
Along the Southeastern coastal plain and dry sandy areas, Florida Yucca gloriosa, Spanish Dagger, is an attractive native evergreen shrub and a butterfly host and nectar plant. Here it adds interest, texture and form around a rural Florida mailbox.
More than a hundred individual flowers may bloom on a single tall Yucca inflorescence (here on a Y. gloriosa). All Yucca flowers are nutritious and edible and used as garnish in salads, drinks and desserts. Nutritious Yucca stems sold in U.S. grocery stores are a species imported mainly from Costa Rica.
A selected variety of Y. filimentosa called ‘Bright Edge’ lives for years as a potted plant in Edwards Gardens’ Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is brought into the greenhouse for winter protection. The edges of the strap-shaped leaves have yellow streaks and frayed filiments.
This specimen of Yucca filimentosa grows freely in the wild along the roadside at Jane’s Garden in the rolling sand hills of southwest Marion County. The top flower is 7 feet high.
Adam’s Needle has a round basal clump of leaves 3 to 4 feet high and of similar diameter. The evergreen leaves form a frost-hardy shrub that tolerates heat, drought, salt spray, strong winds and urban air pollution.
Yucca filimentosa may have more than 100 flowers per flower inflorescence. Yuccas need nighttime pollinators. Thoughtful homeowners should use motion-detecting night lights with LED bulbs. LEDs are preferred, as they do not upset the pollinator moths or bats as much as do incandescent light bulbs. Plus, LED bulbs are much more energy efficient.
Individual Adam’s Needle flowers are bell-shaped, creamy white with a greenish hue when first opened. Pretty and colorful butterflies sip flower nectar through a long proboscis, rarely contacting any flower pollen, so they are not good pollinators of Yucca plants. Bees and moths do a better job of pollinating flowers than do butterflies.
This heart-shaped mature Yucca aloifolia, Spanish bayonet, is drought, salt and freeze tolerant throughout Florida in USDA cold zones 6–11. It is a host plant for two Florida butterfly caterpillars — Yucca Giant Skipper and Cofaqui Skipper.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Huge spikes of flowers grow at the tips of Yucca aloifolia (Spanish bayonet) plant stems in spring and summer. Fragrant Yucca flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds but are mostly pollinated by bees and moths.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
This large group of Yucca aloifolia grew as part of a privacy screen and to deter foot traffic along Pine Ridge Boulevard in Citrus County. The oldest and biggest trunks were eventually removed as smaller younger stems were preferred by the homeowner. It perfumed the entire corner garden when in bloom.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
In the southwestern arid U.S. states, endemic Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, really can grow tree-sized — up to 20 feet tall. It is the iconic emblem of Joshua Tree National Park in California. In April, the western Joshua tree, one of two similar species, was petitioned to be legally protected under California’s state Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently denied a similar petition under the federal act.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
After flowering and being pollinated, large fleshy fruits develop on Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia). The flowers and fruit from Yucca Joshua trees are edible.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Joshua trees may look top-heavy, but they have a wide-spreading root system, reaching to 36 inches long. Of the two recognized varieties, one is taller and slimmer than the other.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Joshua trees’ thick, short leaves conserve water and resist evaporation. The old leaves persist on the trunks to deter predators and shade the trunk from the harsh desert sun. Although it grows in cold zones 8a–9a, this Yucca needs a dry summer climate, so would not survive torrid Florida summer rainy season.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Along the Southeastern coastal plain and dry sandy areas, Florida Yucca gloriosa, Spanish Dagger, is an attractive native evergreen shrub and a butterfly host and nectar plant. Here it adds interest, texture and form around a rural Florida mailbox.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
More than a hundred individual flowers may bloom on a single tall Yucca inflorescence (here on a Y. gloriosa). All Yucca flowers are nutritious and edible and used as garnish in salads, drinks and desserts. Nutritious Yucca stems sold in U.S. grocery stores are a species imported mainly from Costa Rica.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Freshly opened Yucca gloriosa flowers are bright white but become tinged with red or purple as they age and fade.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
A selected variety of Y. filimentosa called ‘Bright Edge’ lives for years as a potted plant in Edwards Gardens’ Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is brought into the greenhouse for winter protection. The edges of the strap-shaped leaves have yellow streaks and frayed filiments.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
This specimen of Yucca filimentosa grows freely in the wild along the roadside at Jane’s Garden in the rolling sand hills of southwest Marion County. The top flower is 7 feet high.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
The leaf margins of Adam’s Needle, or Bear Grass (Y. filimentosa), have fine white filiments — hence its scientific name.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Adam’s Needle has a round basal clump of leaves 3 to 4 feet high and of similar diameter. The evergreen leaves form a frost-hardy shrub that tolerates heat, drought, salt spray, strong winds and urban air pollution.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Yucca filimentosa may have more than 100 flowers per flower inflorescence. Yuccas need nighttime pollinators. Thoughtful homeowners should use motion-detecting night lights with LED bulbs. LEDs are preferred, as they do not upset the pollinator moths or bats as much as do incandescent light bulbs. Plus, LED bulbs are much more energy efficient.
Jane Weber/Special to the Chronicle
Individual Adam’s Needle flowers are bell-shaped, creamy white with a greenish hue when first opened. Pretty and colorful butterflies sip flower nectar through a long proboscis, rarely contacting any flower pollen, so they are not good pollinators of Yucca plants. Bees and moths do a better job of pollinating flowers than do butterflies.
Yuccas evolved only in North and Central America and on some Caribbean islands. Forty-nine different species and some 29 subspecies range from tropical Costa Rica north to Alberta, Canada. Three species of Yucca are native to Florida — Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia), Adam’s needle (Y. filimentosa) and mound Spanish dagger (Y. gloriosa). Yuccas are long-lived, drought-tolerant, no maintenance, perennial, evergreen monocot shrubs or trees that have huge terminal panicles (spikes) of edible, showy white flowers.
The Yucca genus is in the family Asparagaceae in subfamily Agavoideae. Agave plants are closely related to Yuccas, as is asparagus. New Mexico’s state flower is Yucca. The Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, is the most well-known Yucca in the U.S. and is protected by laws in many states. A popular south Florida garden ornamental, the tallest Yucca is the exotic giant or spineless Yucca, Yucca gigantea, a frost-tender tropical Yucca originally from cold zones 9–12 in Central America and southeastern Mexico. I have a gigantea specimen in my cold zone 9a sandhills garden where it needs protection from occasional winter freezes and frosts. Most Yuccas have tough, sword-shaped leaves usually armed with a sharp tip. Giant Yucca has harmless soft tips and grows tree size — up to 30 feet tall.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.