Yucca is a
distinctive drought-tolerant plant with a dramatic whitish bloom that towers
above its sword-like foliage. Yucca filamentosa (common names:
yucca or Adam’s Needle) can be included in your garden in Southeastern
Wisconsin; choose a special place for it… a space where nothing else grows… a
place that gets intense heat in full sun… a space with gravelly, sandy
soil. Your yucca will thrive there and
should bloom in July/August.
Yucca
belongs to the family Asparagaceae
and is native to the southeastern USA.
Yet it is often found in the southwestern USA as well, since some
species have adapted to coastal sandy areas, grasslands and prairies. In the southwest, you may encounter blooms
from late January through March, depending on conditions in each locale.
When
traveling in the southwest, I encountered a yucca bloom emerging in a coastal,
sandy wildlife area— just one plant in the vicinity, just one bloom. In the southwest yucca also is utilized as a
landscape planting, and provides a dramatic panicle bloom on a stem which can
exceed height of seven feet!
Yucca plants
require little pruning; simply cut back the tall stem after bloom has faded;
once again, the “prune after bloom” recommendation applies. Plants need little water once established. These
plants often store water within their root systems, which can be several feet
below soil level.
* TIP:
be sure to choose wisely when selecting a site to plant yucca. Some
gardeners try to move/remove yucca but the root system is tenacious!
M. Lynn
Schmid, Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture
