Yucca filamentosa

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Yucca filamentosa
Yucca filamentosa.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae
Genus: Yucca
Species:
Y. filamentosa
Binomial name
Yucca filamentosa
L.

Yucca filamentosa, [1] Adam's needle and thread, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae [3] native to the southeastern United States. Growing to 3 metres (10 feet) tall, it is an evergreen shrub valued in horticulture.

Contents

Description

Usually trunkless, it is multisuckering with heads of 75 centimetres (30 inches) long, filamentous, blue-green, strappy leaves. Y. filamentosa is readily distinguished from other yucca species by white, thready filaments along the leaf margins. [4] Flower stems up to 3 metres (10 feet) tall bear masses of pendulous cream flowers in early summer. [5]

Taxonomy

Y. filamentosa is closely related to Y. flaccida and it is possible they should be classified as a single species. [5]

Names

Its common names include Adam's needle, common yucca, Spanish bayonet, [6] bear-grass, needle-palm, silk-grass, and spoon-leaf yucca. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Yucca filamentosa is native from coastal Virginia south to Florida, and as far west as south and southeast Texas. [5] It has become naturalized along the Atlantic coastal plain north to Long Island Sound, and into areas of the lower Midwest. It is reportedly also naturalized in France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Turkey. [8]

In its native environment, Yucca filamentosa is most commonly found in sandy soils, especially in beach scrub and dunes, but also in fields, barrens, and rocky slopes, though it grows well also in silt or clay soils. Yucca filamentosa is hardy to USDA zone 5 to 12.

Ecology

The plants are pollinated by the yucca moth Tegeticula yuccasella . [9] [10] Other moth species, such as Tegeticula intermedia , also use this yucca as a host plant to lay their eggs. [11]

Cultivation

Y. filamentosa is widely cultivated in mild temperate and subtropical climates. A fairly compact species, it nevertheless presents a striking appearance with its sword-like leaves and dramatic flowerheads. It is naturally a focal point in the landscape, also providing a tropical touch in temperate gardens. It needs full sun and a well-drained soil, preferring an acid or slightly alkaline pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. It develops a large, fleshy, white taproot with deep lateral roots. Once planted and established, it is difficult to remove, as the roots keep sending up new shoots for many years. It is normally hardy down to −29 °C (−20 °F), or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones of 5 to 9: UK H7).

Cultivars

'Bright Edge', a dwarf cultivar with yellow-margined foliage and creamy flowers tinged with green, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [12] [13] 'Color Guard', with broad yellow stripes all year plus red stripes in the winter, has also won the award. [14]

Other cultivars include:

Uses

Once the seeds have been removed, the fruits can be cooked and eaten. The large flower petals can also be eaten in salads. [17]

The leaves, stems and roots of this plant can be used to stun fish. [18] The Cherokee used it for this purpose. [19]

Related Research Articles

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Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the Americas and the Caribbean in a wide range of habitats, from humid rainforest and wet subtropical ecosystems to the hot and dry (arid) deserts and savanna.

<i>Justicia brandegeeana</i> Species of shrub

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<i>Alstroemeria</i> Genus of South American flowering plants

Alstroemeria, commonly called the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alstroemeriaceae. They are all native to South America, although some have become naturalized in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Almost all of the species are restricted to one of two distinct centers of diversity: one in central Chile, the other in eastern Brazil. Species of Alstroemeria from Chile are winter-growing plants, while those of Brazil are summer growing. All are long-lived perennials except A. graminea, a diminutive annual from the Atacama Desert of Chile.

<i>Lobularia maritima</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Hydrangea quercifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae

Hydrangea quercifolia, commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea or oak-leaved hydrangea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, in woodland habitats from North Carolina west to Tennessee, and south to Florida and Louisiana. A deciduous shrub with white showy flower heads, it is grown as a garden plant, with numerous cultivars available commercially.

<i>Abutilon pictum</i> Species of flowering plant

Abutilon pictum, syn. Abutilon striatum (disputed), is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The plant has become naturalised in Central America, and is used in horticulture. Common names include redvein abutilon, red vein Indian mallow, redvein flowering maple, Chinese-lantern and red vein Chinese lanterns.

<i>Hesperoyucca whipplei</i> Species of flowering plant of the Hesperoyucca genus endemic to California and Baja California

Hesperoyucca whipplei, the chaparral yucca, our Lord's candle, Spanish bayonet, Quixote yucca or foothill yucca, is a species of flowering plant closely related to, and formerly usually included in, the genus Yucca. It is native to southwest communities of North America.

<i>Rudbeckia laciniata</i> Species of flowering plant

Rudbeckia laciniata, the cutleaf coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in both Canada and the United States. Its natural habitat is wet sites in flood plains, along stream banks, and in moist forests. Common names other than cutleaf coneflower include cutleaf, goldenglow, green-headed coneflower, tall coneflower, sochan and thimbleweed.

<i>Thunbergia alata</i> Species of plant

Thunbergia alata, commonly called black-eyed Susan vine, is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world.

<i>Yucca gloriosa</i> Species of shrub

Yucca gloriosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to the southeastern United States. Growing to 2.5 m (8 ft), it is an evergreen shrub. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental for its architectural qualities, and has reportedly become established in warmer climates in the wild in various parts of the world.

<i>Hamamelis mollis</i> Species of tree

Hamamelis mollis, also known as Chinese witch hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the witch hazel family Hamamelidaceae, native to central and eastern China, in Anhui, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Zhejiang.

<i>Hylotelephium spectabile</i> Species of succulent

Hylotelephium spectabile is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to China and Korea. Its common names include showy stonecrop, iceplant, and butterfly stonecrop.

<i>Erysimum cheiri</i> Species of flowering plant

Erysimum cheiri, syn. Cheiranthus cheiri, the wallflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), native to Greece, but widespread as an introduced species elsewhere. It is also treated as a hybrid under the name Erysimum × cheiri. It is widely cultivated as a garden plant.

<i>Forsythia <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> intermedia</i> Hybrid flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae

Forsythia × intermedia, or border forsythia, is an ornamental deciduous shrub of garden origin.

<i>Yucca glauca</i> Species of flowering plant

Yucca glauca is a species of perennial evergreen plant, adapted to xeric (dry) growth conditions. It is also known as small soapweed, soapweed yucca, Spanish bayonet, and Great Plains yucca.

<i>Anemonoides blanda</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides blanda, syn. Anemone blanda, the Balkan anemone, Grecian windflower, or winter windflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. The species is native to southeastern Europe and the Middle East. The specific epithet blanda means "mild" or "charming". The genus name is derived from the Greek word anemos, or wind.

Tegeticula intermedia is a moth of the family Prodoxidae. Along with other moth species, it is commonly known as a yucca moth. T. intermedia lives in North America, particularly the United States. The moth resides in the southwest, the Great Plains, the Southeast, and mid-Atlantic. It also has been found much farther north in regions of Canada like Ontario and Alberta. There are also notable populations present in New Mexico. Their habitats are diverse and vary in terms of climate, landscape, and other factors. The moth lives in sand dunes, forests, glades, grassland, desert, and forests from the East Coast to the Southwest. Yucca moths have developed a strong mutualism with the yucca plant, such that both depend on each other for survival. The yucca moths and yucca plants have coevolved over millions of years. However, Tegeticula intermedia differs from most yucca moths in that it exhibits cheating behavior by laying eggs without pollinating the yucca plant.

<i>Verbascum phoeniceum</i> Species of flowering plant

Verbascum phoeniceum, known as purple mullein, is a species of mullein that is part of the family Scrophulariaceae native to Central Europe, Central Asia and Western China. It is also naturalized in certain regions of the US and Canada. It successfully grows in USDA’s zones 4 to 8. It is a short-lived perennial species, and blooms earlier than other mullein species on average, producing vibrant purple-pink flowers; it can grow up to 1m or more.

<i>Yucca flaccida</i> Species of flowering plant

Yucca flaccida, commonly called Adam's needle or weak-leaf yucca, is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). It is native to south-central and southeastern North America, from the lower Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic seaboard in Virginia, south through Florida and the Gulf states. Its natural habitat is in sandy open woodlands and fields. It is not considered to be threatened by the IUCN.

<i>Lophospermum erubescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Lophospermum erubescens, known as Mexican twist or creeping gloxinia, is a climbing or sprawling herbaceous perennial plant, native to the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains of Mexico, where it is found along forest margins or canyon walls. It climbs by means of twining leaf stalks. Wild plants have pink and white tubular flowers, although other colours are found in cultivation. It has been cultivated as an ornamental plant since at least 1830. Although not frost-hardy, it will survive if its base and roots are protected from freezing in the winter. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in tropical and subtropical areas of the world.

References

  1. Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 1: 319. 1753.
  2. "Yucca filamentosa". RHS. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  3. Yucca filamentosa. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  4. The Reader's Digest Gardeners' Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Reader's Digest Association. Sydney. 1999.
  5. 1 2 3 "Yucca filamentosa". Flora of North America .
  6. Yucca filamentosa. NatureServe. 2012.
  7. "Yucca filamentosa". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  8. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  9. Marr, D. L., et al. (2000). Pollen dispersal in Yucca filamentosa (Agavaceae): the paradox of self-pollination behavior by Tegeticula yuccasella (Prodoxidae). American Journal of Botany 87(5), 670-77.
  10. Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida i–x, 1–806. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
  11. "Tegeticula intermedia". tolweb.org. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  12. "RHS Plant Selector - Yucca filamentosa 'Bright Edge'". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  13. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 107. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  14. "Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'". RHS. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  15. Dirr, Michael A. (2011-10-18). Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs. Timber Press. ISBN   978-0-88192-901-0.
  16. Flint, Harrison L. (1997-04-09). Landscape Plants for Eastern North America: Exclusive of Florida and the Immediate Gulf Coast. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   978-0-471-59919-7.
  17. Niering, William A.; Olmstead, Nancy C. (1985) [1979]. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Knopf. p. 616. ISBN   0-394-50432-1.
  18. Duffy, K. (2004). Harvesting Nature's Bounty, Second Edition. City: Bookman Pub. ISBN   1-59453-294-X.
  19. Yucca filamentosa. Native American Ethnobotany DB. University of Michigan, Dearborn.