TORREY’S YUCCA

Description

This picturesque plant, which is one of the most common yuccas found in western Texas, reaches eighteen to twenty feet tall at maturity, eventually producing multiple trunks. It forms a symmetrical rosette with stiff; bluish-green leaves that grow three to five feet long and are sharply pointed. The bark is grayish-brown and forms a dense thatch as the plant matures. In its native habitat, it sometimes grows into an asymmetrical, untidy-looking plant and has been given the nickname “old shag.” In spring, it produces beautiful, fragrant, bell-shaped, white blooms that reach heights of four feet. However, this plant may not produce blossoms each year. After it does bloom, in late summer, greenish-brown, fleshy fruits appear, becoming leathery as they mature. Use it as a specimen, or plant it in front of a tall wall for its interesting silhouette and growth habit. Mix it with low-water-use agaves and other succulents. It grows natively in Edwards Plateau through Trans-Pecos, Texas, as well as into New Mexico and south into northern Mexico.

Maintenance

The plant likes full sun to light shade. It is hardy to ten degrees and is drought-tolerant, but it grows quickly if given supplemental irrigation.