Yucca whipplei

[Hoy]

If I didn't already know that I wish I could grow Yuccas, I would know now for sure

[Tim Ingram]

There is a saying that you wait for ages for a bus to come along, and then two come at the same time! After the first plant of Yucca whipplei flowered in our garden I am quite dismayed that the second is also doing so - it will be a long wait to sow seed and wait for another flowering! The picture shows it with Dierama pulcherrima in the foreground. Behind it is a very perennial, and perennially flowering, Yucca thompsoniana, closely related to Y. rostrata. This was also grown from seed and is getting better year on year, although mature plants of rostrata (presumably wild dug) are occasionally seen in gardens here.

[DesertZone]

That is so cool.  Love the pic with both flowers.

What palm sp. is that?

[Tim Ingram]

The palm is Butia capitata - it didn't much like last winter's low of -14°C but seems to be growing out again OK. I've tried a few others like Washingtonia and the beautiful Brahea armata with no luck outside.

[DesertZone]

So glad it made it through that kind of cold.  Looks a little different than the one I seen over here.  Nice looking palm, and great looking yuccas.

[Tim Ingram]

It's quite difficult to deal with Yucca whipplei after it has flowered! I decided to cut all the leaves back to the centre and then thought this made rather a good piece of Garden Sculpture, as well as reminding me of the amazing flower spike earlier on. I don't know how long this will last; will be interesting to see!

[McDonough]

It's quite difficult to deal with Yucca whipplei after it has flowered! I decided to cut all the leaves back to the centre and then thought this made rather a good piece of Garden Sculpture, as well as reminding me of the amazing flower spike earlier on. I don't know how long this will last; will be interesting to see!

Tim, it is hard to imagine how you cut all those leaves back so neatly, and secondly, how did you even begin the process of cutting the first leaves with its formidable defensive periphery of dagger-sharp leaves.

[Merlin]

It's quite difficult to deal with Yucca whipplei after it has flowered! I decided to cut all the leaves back to the centre and then thought this made rather a good piece of Garden Sculpture, as well as reminding me of the amazing flower spike earlier on. I don't know how long this will last; will be interesting to see!

That is pretty cool! I can say I would never thought of doing that,  if i'm still alive and if my Yucca harrimaniae ever blooms perhaps i will give that a try. 

[stephenb]

There's a good article with Tim Ingram and his Yuccas in the August issue of RHS The Garden magazine!

[Martin Tversted]

Tim, did you take seeds, many forms dont form offsets and just die. Often the whipplei group is placed in their own genus Hesperoyucca. They cannot be crossed with yuccas though all other yuccas can interbreed.

Martin

[Cockcroft]

I visited my sister near San Diego, California and took a picture of yet another Yucca whipplei -- this one looks like it might bloom this year.  As you might recall, the flowers on this form are white and dark maroon.  Should it bloom, I will be sure to get seeds to share before the yucca moth can ruin them all.