The most beautiful yuccas

Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata' or Spanish Dagger

Yucca very resilient, the gloriosa ‘Variegata’ forms a clump of highly decorative leaves occupying a diameter of 1 m with a similar height. Its evergreen and leathery foliage is a lovely greyish green. Each leaf is marginate with yellow on both edges: this colouring makes Yucca gloriosa ‘Variegata’ particularly decorative and bright. These leaves are pointed and spiky. Its summer flowering is spectacular: it takes the form of a tall spike adorned with numerous large white bell-shaped flowers, delightfully fragrant.

Despite its exotic appearance, once established, that is to say after two years, it withstands temperatures below -15°C. It does not suffer from winter moisture, whether from snow or rain, but requires well-drained soil. If your soil is clayey, plant it on a small mound to encourage drainage. Its stump, equipped with fleshy and thick roots, easily regrows after particularly harsh winters. Don’t have the option to plant it in the garden? No worries, it grows very well in a pot.

Yucca gloriosa ‘Variegata’

Yucca rostrata or Blue Yucca

The Yucca rostrata has its place among the most beautiful ! It boasts numerous qualities that make it one of the most sought-after. With few spines, it forms a ball of leaves in a stunning bluish hue. Growing to about sixty centimetres, this ball will over the years rise on a thick trunk, hidden by the dry leaves that curl towards the ground. To showcase it, feel free to trim them gradually.

Naturally fitting into exotic settings, rockeries, or dry gardens, the Yucca rostrata can also be placed in more naturalistic borders alongside perennials. This species is hardy, down to -14/-16°C and can therefore be planted in many regions, provided it is given a sunny spot and well-drained soil.

Yucca rostrata

Yucca elephantipes 'Jewel' or variegated elephant foot yucca

The elephant foot yucca is an arborescent form reaching a majestic stature and an exotic, graphically pleasing silhouette. The cultivar elephantipes ‘Jewel’ is a variegated form that is less cold-resistant and less vigorous than the type, but it can still grow to over 2m in height with a width between 1.00 and 2m. If grown in a pot, its development will be less significant. This is generally how it is cultivated in our latitudes, due to its sensitivity to cold, which causes it to suffer from -4 to -5°C. In open ground, it is best suited for gardens on the Côte d’Azur.

Developing an imposing false trunk that is swollen at the base, it bears tufts of evergreen, stiff, and pointed leaves at its summit. In this variegated variety, the leaves are striated with cream on a dark green background. The flowering of Yucca elephantipes ‘Jewel’ occurs in July-August in the form of upright flower stalks adorned with large white bells.

Yucca elephantipes ‘Jewel’ (Forest and Kim Starr – Flickr)

Yucca filamentosa 'Ivory Tower'

Yucca filamentosa can be recognised by the small white filaments present along their evergreen leaves. These are Yuccas that are interesting for more than one reason:

• their hardiness which allows them to withstand temperatures as low as -20°C without damage in well-drained soil
• their ease of cultivation, even in poor soil, and their drought resistance
• their compact size of 70cm in all directions and their lovely rosette shape
• their low spikiness
• their striking summer flowering that takes the form of long upright spikes adorned with white bells.

‘Ivory Tower’ combines these qualities, but is also adorned with blue-green foliage edged in white that is truly stunning: aesthetic and bright, it gives sunny garden corners where it is planted an unparalleled exotic elegance throughout the year.

Yucca filamentosa ‘Ivory Tower’

Yucca rigida or Blue Yucca

Originating from mountainous regions in northern Mexico, Yucca rigida or Blue Yucca has inherited from its origins a resilience to challenging growing conditions: arid and poor soils do not deter it, nor does the dry cold that it can withstand without damage down to -15°C.

Aesthetically speaking, it is a stunning specimen with a beautiful bluish hue, allowing it to be paired with a wide range of colours in the garden. This is a specimen that becomes imposing with age, potentially reaching 4m in height on a massive trunk covered by its old dried leaves. Its leaves, rigid and fairly broad, are very spiky. Therefore, care should be taken to avoid placing it in pathways or areas where young children might get hurt. Fortunately, its tall stature makes it suitable for planting at the back or middle of a border or rockery. When planted in full sun, it produces a white inflorescence with pendulous greenish-white bells from May to July each year.

Yucca rigida (Andrey Zharkikh – flickr)

Yucca gloriosa 'Citrus Twist®'

New and protected variety, the Yucca gloriosa ‘Citrus twist®’ will surprise you with the hues of its foliage arranged in rosettes of thick leaves, 80 cm long, lanceolate and with a very pointed tip. Variegated with yellow and soft green, their edges become more or less pink under the effect of the sun. This variety of Yucca gloriosa, as drought and cold resistant (down to -15 °C) as the typical species, adorns itself in summer with magnificent flowers typical of yuccas, in the shape of white bells borne on tall floral stems. They are highly fragrant.

This highly ornamental plant, easy to grow anywhere, prefers well-drained soils and full sun to thrive. It reaches a height of 1.5 m with a spread of about 1 m.

Yucca gloriosa ‘Citrus twist®’

Yucca aloifolia or Aloe-Leafed Yucca

Let’s finish with a classic: the Yucca aloifolia or Aloe-leaved Yucca. The success of this Yucca is undeniable as it boasts numerous qualities that make it a must-have for dry or exotic gardens. With a relatively fast growth rate, it has an upright silhouette, sometimes in coppice shoots, reaching heights of up to 3 m. Its large leaves, stiff, evergreen, and leathery are a beautiful dark green with a slight greyish tint. Their tips are sharp and spiky.

The summer flowering of the Yucca aloifolia is simply spectacular and typical of yucca flowers: it takes the form of a tall, ramified spike adorned with numerous large white bell-shaped flowers. This yucca is hardy down to -12°C, provided the soil is well-drained. It withstands drought remarkably well.

Yucca aloifolia

For further reading...

Sophie’s advice: if you are concerned about the spines of Yuccas located at the edge of a bed or near pathways, to avoid injuries to young children or animals (and yourself during gardening sessions!): arm yourself with patience and a sharp pruning shear and trim the tip off each leaf. Guaranteed result: your yuccas will no longer sting. The trimmed tips do not regrow, and you will need to cut them off the new leaves as they appear.

You can also cover the base of your yuccas with mineral mulch at planting to spare yourself any weeding among their spines later on.

→ Find Virginie’s tips: Outdoor Yucca: choice, planting, maintenance, in pot or in garden