Tennessee Smart Yards Native Plants

A comprehensive database of Tennessee native plants

Adamsneedle Yucca

Adamsneedle Yucca

Yucca filamentosa

Full sun; moderately dry to dry moisture level; sandy loams are best but is not fussy about soil and grows in coarse sands and gravels, loamy sands, medium loams, and even pure sand; moderately acid to circumneutral pH.

Up to 3 feet height by 3 feet spread; blooms in summer; creamy white flowers; fruits are a dry, woody, 6-sided pod-like capsule, 1 – 1 ½ inches long in fall.

Growth Rate:  Medium to slow

Maintenance:  Infrequent disease and insect problems.  Remove flower stalk once flowers have dropped.  Otherwise plant requires very little maintenance.

Propagation:  Easy from seed and root cuttings.  Seed sprouts easily.

Native Region:  Lightly scattered statewide

Very small, evergreen shrub with flower stalks up to 6 feet tall.  A member of the Agave family with stiffly erect, spreading, sword-like leaves with sharp, pointed tips.  Real attraction is the 3-6 foot high flower stalks with yellowish white, pendulous flowers that have a somewhat perfumed scent.  Long-lived, very hardy, and very drought resistant.  Deep taproot so very difficult to transplant.  Very low wildlife value but does attract hummingbirds.  Cultivars available.

shrub;sun;dry;loam
shrub;sun;dry;sand

One response to “Adamsneedle Yucca

  1. Helen Weygandt July 29, 2023 at 1:35 pm

    Do you open the seed pod to propagate? How do you sprout the seeds? Or do you just put the seeds or pods in the ground? How deep and how far apart? How often do I water?

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