Actually let me correct that, Yucca filamentosa is my favorite plant in my mom’s garden this week (and that explains the snow)…
These plants are all growing at my parent’s home in Spokane, Washington, where we spent a wonderful white Christmas. We flew in on Christmas Eve and were welcomed by a picture perfect scene of 4” of fresh snow coating everything. It was gorgeous, but you’ll just have to trust me on that as I didn't take a single photo, I was too excited to see my family. Later after we’d spent some time catching up I went out to see what was looking good in my mom’s garden, that’s when I spotted these yuccas…
You’ve got to love a plant that still holds its spikes high when coated with snow…
And can withstand temperatures below zero!
Yucca filamentosa has been a spiky staple in my mom’s garden ever since I can remember. She rescued most of these from sure death by asking about their fate when she noticed them in the bed of a truck destined for the dump. Of course this Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' wasn’t part of that group, these are a step up from the common “parking lot yucca”…
The stats:
- Zones: 5 – 10
- Size: 2 – 3 ft wide and 3 ft tall
- Full sun, and in my experience it can get by in just about any soil type
A word of caution however...be sure you really want this plant where you plant it. It has the ability to re-sprout from the tiniest little bit of root left behind. I carefully dug a dozen plants from my brother’s house in Spokane only to have them all return come the next spring. It’s a tenacious thing!