Yucca filamentosa
Adam ’s needle is a striking and stately ornamental succulent , with long , sword - similar foliage and bold efflorescence stubble topped with showy panicles of creamy , bell - shaped flower .
These handsome plants are often grown as specimens in succulent beds , foundation plantings , island , and planters .
They also produce offsets regularly , form attractive clunk that can be used as low barriers , perimeter , and hedge .
Photo by Lorna Kring.
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A aboriginal of the southeasterly United States and Mexico , these robust specimens are extremely drought resistant and require niggling upkeep , thriving in lean soils and ironical conditions .
They have good insensate hardiness too and are quite comfortable with winter temperatures in USDA Hardiness Zone 4 .
Photo by Lorna Kring.
Adam ’s needle is the perfect “ hand - off ” plant for gravel or sandy areas , rockeries , and any xeriscape setting .
The lovely , lantern - corresponding efflorescence last for weeks and appeal hummingbirds and moths but are leave alone by deer and rabbits .
Are you quick for a low maintenance , water - wise ornamental with a braggy impact ? Then let ’s talk over how to grow Adam ’s needle yucca !
Here ’s what you ’ll find ahead :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Adam’s Needle?
Adam ’s acerate leaf yucca ( Yucca filamentosa ) is a mintage of flowering industrial plant in the Asparagaceae household that are native to the southeast United States and Mexico .
In its original home ground , Y. filamentosagrows in dry , sandy or rocky soils on bluffs , coastal regions , forest fringes , and open prairie and is extremely drouth large-minded .
A broadleaf evergreen succulent , the leathery , blade - shaped foliage radiates from a basal little potato and bears okay , thread - similar filum along the edges with a acuate , prickly tip .
In late bounce , works produce grandiloquent flower stalks with clusters of nodding , lantern - similar bloom in creamy white , flower for several weeks .
After inflorescence , pod form , containing small-scale mordant seeds that are most often dispersed by wind .
increase is moderate with a fledged height of two to three feet tall and spread of three to four feet wide , and plant produce runner per year , grow into attractive clusters .
Y. filamentosahas estimable resistance to heat and dusty and the plants are worthy for finish in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 10 .
It should be noted that the works ’s radical contain saponins which are toxic to cats , dogs , and horses .
Cultivation and History
Historically , Adam ’s needle , also called Spanish bayonet or Carolina silk sess , was used extensively by Native Americans for food , medicinal drug , toiletries , and the strong fibre for cordage and weaving .
By 1675 it was being cultivated as an ornamental by colonists and was reportedly grown in the garden of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson .
Sir Walter Raleigh introduced it to Europe via Great Britain on one of his payoff trip from North America .
The metal money namefilamentosarefers to the foliation ’s elusive , filament - similar fibers and the plebeian name refers to the sharp needle - like tip on the end of the leaves .
Adam’s Needle Propagation
Adam ’s acerate leaf can be propagated from cuttings , by seed , and via outset .
Sowing seedsrequires quite a bit of forbearance as plants propagated this manner can take up to five eld to blossom .
press cutting can be take from mature specimen in spring and summer and propagated either in soil or water .
Our guide to disperse yuccahas all the point , and if you ’ve got a mature plant that is putting out pup , check outour clause about transplantation offsets .
The easy way to get depart with Adam ’s needle , is to purchase a plant life from the baby’s room and transplant it into your garden .
understand our template to grow yuccafor more information .
How to Grow Adam’s Needle
Adam ’s phonograph needle succulent do best when plant in sandy or gravelly soil with average fertility rate , a slightly acidulous pH of 5.5 to 6.5 , and a full sun photograph .
When planting , loosen the grease to a depth of 12 to 18 inches and create a hole twice as wide and slightly recondite than the root ball .
To one part of soil , mix in one part of organic material such ascompost , well - waste manure , orworm castingsis sufficient for their nutritionary demand .
To better drainage , supply in one or two role of grit , such as landscape sand , pea crushed rock , or rock crisp . fantabulous drainage is essential for the health of Adam ’s needle as pixilated or to a fault moist soil can lead to problem like crown and root rot .
If you live in areas with high rainfall , you’re able to fix the plants on a slope or in fire mounds to better drainage .
rigid works in place at the same depth as in their baby’s room green goddess , with the jacket crown just below the soil line .
Backfill with soil and house in place . Water gently and deeply to square off .
permit two to three feet of space between specimen .
Like most succulent , Y. filamentosarequires minimal wet and overwatering should be avoided to keep the roots and crown healthy .
Allow the soil to dry out out to a depth of three to four inches between waterings , then give your plant a long , abstruse drinking to guarantee the extensive tap stem receives sufficient wet .
For container growth , ensure your pots and plantation owner have adequate drainage hole to forestall soggy soil .
I wish to add a layer of porous materials like broken clayware or pebbles to the bottom of kitty to control water moves freely .
Use a porous , granulose soil that provides good drainage – our recipe for succulent pot soilis nonpareil .
Allow the soil to dry good between water applications .
If desired , you could apply a two - inch layer of gravel mulch to keep the roots cool and slow up down H2O evaporation .
Avoid using organic materials for mulching – they hold onto too much water which can moderate to summit hogwash .
Learn more about grow yucca in container in our guidebook .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
These easy snuff it plant command niggling upkeep , but a spring cleanup spot helps to better their appearing and address anyfrost equipment casualty .
In early spring , utilize clean penetrative shears to remove any brown , discredited , or dead farewell , cutting them close to the main stem .
Lower , down - facing leaves can also be removed at this time if you favor a fresh stem over the skirted smell .
take our templet to lop yucca to find out more .
After anthesis , if you do n’t want to collect seeds for propagation , bump off the flower stalk by cutting it close to the base .
For cum assembling , set aside the seedcase to mature and mature over summertime .
Once the pods have dry and turned beige or light brown , remove them from the stem and snap give the cod to break the seed .
seminal fluid can be put in in dry backbone in a cool , dark , and juiceless environment for up to five year .
Adam ’s needle plants are moderate confluent and can be fertilized in spring by process in two inches of compost as a side garnish over the root zone , taking care to keep it a few inches off from the base of the plant .
Or you could apply a balanced , all - purpose , boring going fertiliser or a product give voice for cactus and succulent .
Down to Earth Cactus and Succulent Fertilizer
Down to Earth Cactus and Succulent Fertilizer has a NPK proportion of 2 - 4 - 8 and is useable in one- and five - pound boxesat Arbico Organics .
Adam’s Needle Cultivars to Select
There are n’t a big potpourri of cultivar to pick out from , but the species plant offers durable beauty for the water - wise garden .
Adam ’s Needle
The standard bearer ofY. filamentosa , Adam ’s acerate leaf industrial plant in two- or three - gallon pots can be purchasedat Nature Hills Nursery .
For a daddy of bright color , ‘ Color Guard ’ is a beautiful motley kind with bright sensationalistic leaves march in olive green .
‘ Color Guard ’
Potted specimen areavailable at Perfect Plants NurseryandPlants By Mail .
There are a yoke of others including ‘ Gold Sword ’ that is similar to ‘ Color Guard ’ but sport streaks of green and gold on the foliage .
Managing Pests and Disease
Adam ’s phonograph needle typically experiences few problems with pests and diseases , but there are a couple of issue to watch for .
aphid are common sapsuckersthat can be found feed on leaf or flower stalks .
A strong spray of waterfrom the garden hoseis normally enough to dispatch these bug but may need to be recapitulate for a few days to whole destroy the settlement .
Black spots on the leaves may be a sign of a fungous transmission that ’s typically spread out by spore being splashed onto the leaves by pee .
Remove infect leave with clean , sharp shear and nullify overhead lacrimation .
A natural fungicide and insecticide like neem crude can be used for persistent fungal infections .
Bonide Neem vegetable oil
you’re able to regain neem oilavailable at Arbico Organics .
Best Uses for Adam’s Needle Yucca
With its prominent profile , Adam ’s needle yucca makes a handsome specimen flora or focal point in mixed succulent beds , containers , city and courtyard garden , foundations , and islands .
And its drought tolerance hold it ideal for Southwestern or Mediterranean themed gardens as well as in gravel layer , rockeries and flaxen belt or any water - wise set orxeriscape .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Showy Succulents
With their bristling silhouette of brand - like foliage and dramatic , long - hold out flush spikes , Adam ’s acerate leaf yuccas are jazzy succulents with a tough nature !
Y. filamentosaadds a bold , prominent bearing as a specimen in urban center and courtyard garden , foundations , islands , and mixed succulent bed ; and make handsome groupings fix up into borders or wrangle .
Wonderfully low maintenance , they flourish in arid condition making them a levelheaded choice in water - saucy options like gravel beds , sandlike soil , rockeries , Mediterranean and Southwestern gardens , or any xeriscape environs .
Water on occasion , feed once a year , and give them Dominicus – then sit back and enjoy how these succulent showpieces strut their stuff !
And if you ’d like tolearn more about growing yucca flora , add these guides to your reading leaning next :
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About
Lorna Kring
