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Yucca is a genus of flowering plants in the family Agavaceae, comprising about 50 species. It is native to the hot and arid parts of North and South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. They grow in rocky deserts and badlands, light woodland, coastal sands, prairies, grassland, mountainous regions, and also in subtropical and semi-temperate zones.
Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants as these perennial shrubs or trees are known for their bold, sword-shaped, clustered leaves, and showy panicles of white or cream-colored flowers. They make an excellent container-grown plants. Many Yucca species bear edible parts, including flowering stems, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Yuccas are only pollinated by yucca moths of family Prodoxidae. The yucca moths transfer the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, at the same time laying an egg in the flower. The larvae then feed on the developing yucca seeds, always leaving enough seeds to mature. Yucca species are food and host plants for the caterpillars of the Yucca Giant-Skipper (Megathymus yuccae), Ursine Giant-Skipper (Megathymus ursus), and Strecker's Giant-Skipper (Megathymus streckeri).
Yucca grows well in full sun and well-drained soil. Regularly remove spent flowering stems. Propagate in spring. Frost-tender species is propagate by seed and by suckers, hardier species are by root cuttings.
Yucca glauca(Spanish bayonet) is an evergreen, rosette-forming shrub with sharply tipped, narrow leaves of 60 cm long. When the plant is established, it will send up 1 meter tall spikes of creamy white, waxy bell-like flowers in summer.
Yucca filamentosa (Adam's needle) is an evergreen, clumping forming, basal-rosette shrub, 2 m tall and 1.5 m wide, with sword-shaped, deep-green leaves. In mid- to late summer, it produces tall panicles of pendulous, tulip-shaped white flowers.
