Yucca filamentosa Ivory Tower

Yucca filamentosa Ivory Tower is a compact variety of filamentous Yucca, with original and attractive variegated foliage throughout the year. Very hardy, rooted in a powerful rootstock, it develops a basal rosette of large blue-green leaves marginated with white-cream and bordered by whitish filaments, less pointed than those of other varieties. Its flowers, which usually appear in summer, rise to 1.5 m (5 ft), in the form of a tall spike bearing large ivory-white bells. It will be perfect in a rock garden, on a slope, or in a pot on the terrace.

This filamentous Yucca is a plant of the agave family native to the northeast (Virginia) and southeast of the United States, spreading westward to Louisiana. Generally without a trunk, it is a botanical species forming several stems that bear rosettes of long and narrow leaves, tapering at their ends. It grows rather slowly at the beginning but once it hits its top speed will reach 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) per year.

The Ivory Tower variety develops rosettes of about 70 cm (28 in) in height, and leaves marginated with cream, bordered by the characteristic filaments of the species. The floral stems appear in early summer, sometimes later or earlier depending on the climate, on specimens that are several years old. The flowers, resembling tulips in size and shape, are cream-white in colour and appear on a green and robust floral stem, organised in a paniculate manner. They are oriented downwards. The rosette dies after flowering, but many small shoots produced at its base ensure the plant's longevity.

Yucca filamentosa Ivory Tower, hardy well beyond -15 °C (5 °F) in well-drained soil and easy to grow, will thrive in any properly drained soil, even dry and poor soil or in an arid situation. It should be kept away from walkways and young children due to its pointed leaves. This plant is ideal for structuring a large rock garden, or for brilliantly occupying the centre of an exotic bed. It can be planted alone or associated with Puya caerulea on an arid slope, with Agave americana, prickly pear, giant fennel, and fairly hardy candle cacti (Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata) and viper's bugloss from the Canary Islands, all equally undemanding. It can also be planted in a very large pot on the terrace, right next to a banana tree or a Tetrapanax, carefully choosing a sheltered spot in full sun.

The flower petals are edible: they can be served as a garnish or prepared as fritters. Before the flowers have appeared, the floral spike can also be consumed and cooked like asparagus.