Dasylirion wheeleri - Sotol

Dasylirion wheeleri is part of the same family as its cousins the yuccas. These semi-desert plants are hardy enough to acclimatise to most of our gardens, provided they are given perfectly drained soil in a large rockery or gravel bed. It is distinguished by its linear leaves ending in a tuft of fibres, which are shorter and bluer than in other species. This woody plant has the appearance of a large sea urchin. It is spectacular when young, but reaches its full potential when it blooms, after 10 to 15 years, in the form of a huge floral stem adorned with small yellow flowers. Dasylirion is ideal for dry or contemporary gardens. It can be grown both in the ground and in pots. Give it a prominent place, in full sun and warmth! 

Originally from rocky hills and mountainous areas in northern Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, Dasylirion wheeleri can withstand temperatures around -12 to -15°C (10.4 to 5°F) in well-drained soil in gardens subjected to winter rains. It tolerates long periods of summer drought. It is a rhizomatous plant belonging to the Asparagaceae family, slow-growing in dry soil, faster in moist soil. When young, it forms a dense, shaggy ball. After many years, it can form a brown trunk 1m to 1.5m (3 to 4ft) tall, covered with remnants of old leaves. It often ends up lying down, without stopping growing. This trunk bears a spherical crown 80cm (32in) to 1m (3ft) wide, composed of several hundred leaves 3 to 4cm (1 to 2in) wide, bordered by orange to brownish spines and ending in a small tuft of fibres. The leaves are linear, thick, leathery, and bluish-green in colour. Flowering occurs in summer after 10 to 15 years of cultivation. A slender upright flower spike emerges from the centre of the rosette at 2 or 3m (7 or 10ft), among the leaves. The small yellow flowers are densely packed along the spike. The flowering spike persists on the plant for a long time, often until winter. Male plants are distinct from female plants. It shows spectacular growth when watered during the summer. The plant's location should be carefully chosen and it should not be disturbed. Its fragile root system does not tolerate disturbance and transplantation very well.

Dasylirion wheeleri is a beautiful plant, easy to grow, and ornamental all year round. It requires plenty of sun and very well-drained, even poor, rocky or sandy and dry soil. It particularly dislikes heavy, waterlogged soils in winter. It will therefore find its place on a large dry bank, at the top of a large exotic or contemporary rockery, or even near a swimming pool, if the soil is well prepared to receive it. This large plant will be magnificent when isolated, accompanied by a carpet of cerastium, Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, delosperma, or even a lawn of Zoysia tenuifolia (mascarene grass). It can also be planted with agaves, prickly pears, fairly hardy candle cacti (Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata), and equally spectacular and frugal shrubby aloes. It is well suited to pot cultivation, which protects it from cold and humidity in winter.