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Growth Rate
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Moderate; develops a sturdy rosette form over time.
Mature size typically 2–3 feet tall (foliage) and 3–4 feet wide, with flower stalks rising to 5–6 feet in summer.
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Colorful leaves
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Flowering
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Yes |
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Bloom Color
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Disease resistant
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Yes |
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Cold Tolerant
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Yes |
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Heat Tolerant
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Yes |
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Drought Tolerant
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Yes |
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Deer Resistant
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Yes |
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Edible
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Yes |
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Wildlife Attraction
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Attracts pollinating moths, bees, and butterflies during bloom time.
Provides nesting habitat for small wildlife in dry landscapes.
Deer and rabbit resistant due to tough, fibrous leaves.
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Self-pollinating
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Seasonality
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Spring: New foliage emerges, maintaining vivid variegation.
Summer: Striking bloom spikes rise above foliage, attracting pollinators.
Fall: Foliage color remains bright and crisp.
Winter: Evergreen leaves continue to add architectural interest in the landscape.
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Ideal For
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– Excellent for xeriscaping, rock gardens, borders, containers, dry slopes, and architectural focal points |
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Leaf Description
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Stunning sword-like leaves with bright golden-yellow centers and rich green margins.
Leaf edges bear fine, curly white filaments (hence the name “filamentosa”).
Evergreen foliage adds texture and color year-round, even in winter.
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Flower Description
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Produces tall, upright stalks in early to mid-summer, topped with creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers.
Blooms are showy, fragrant, and long-lasting—excellent for vertical accent and contrast.
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Planting Instructions
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Choose a sunny, well-drained location—Yucca thrives in sandy or gravelly soils but adapts to clay if drainage is adequate.
Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball but not deeper.
Set the plant so the crown sits level with the soil surface.
Backfill with native soil mixed with a small amount of coarse sand or grit for drainage improvement.
Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil, then allow the top few inches to dry out before watering again.
Avoid overly rich or wet soil, which can lead to root rot.
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Pruning & Maintenance
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Minimal pruning required.
Remove spent flower stalks at the base after blooming to tidy appearance.
In spring, trim away any damaged or dead leaves at the base.
Avoid cutting back green leaves, as they regenerate slowly.
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Water Needs
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Low water needs once established.
Water regularly during the first growing season to help roots settle, then only during extended dry periods.
Avoid standing water or frequent overhead watering.
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Light Needs
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Requires full sun (6+ hours daily) for best foliage color and flowering.
Tolerates partial shade, but the variegated leaf color may fade slightly in lower light.
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Harvesting
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In ornamental landscapes, fruit rarely forms unless natural yucca moth pollination occurs.
When pollinated, produces woody, elongated seed pods that mature by late summer.
Seeds are not commonly harvested, as vegetative division is preferred for propagation.
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Fertilizing
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Fertilize sparingly; Yucca prefers lean soil.
In early spring, apply a light dose of slow-release, balanced fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) if growth seems slow.
Overfertilizing can reduce variegation and make the plant leggy.
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Pollination
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Pollinated by nocturnal yucca moths, which have a unique mutual relationship with Yucca species.
Self-fertile when moth pollination occurs, but fruit rarely forms in ornamental settings.
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Companion Plants
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Perennials: Sedum, Echinacea, Agastache, Salvia, or Coreopsis for drought-tolerant combinations.
Grasses: Festuca ‘Elijah Blue’, Panicum, or Miscanthus for texture contrast.
Shrubs: Potentilla, Spiraea, or small ornamental conifers for structure and balance.
Ideal in xeriscapes, rock gardens, borders, or container displays.
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