Adam’s Needle
Location
Cactus & Succulent Garden
- Common Name: Adam’s Needle
- Scientific Name: Yucca filamentosa
- Family Name: Asparagaceae
- Origin: Southeastern United States
- Height: Up to 10 ft
- Width: 3 to 4 ft
- Growth: Moderate
- Zone: USDA Zones 8 through 10
- Light needs: Full sun to part shade
- Salt tolerance: Moderate – tolerant of salt spray and occasional saltwater inundation
- Soil/pH/Texture: Prefers well-drained, sandy soil with an acidic to neutral pH (5.0-7.0)
- Moisture: No supplemental watering is needed once established. Sensitive to overwatering and flooding.
- Drought tolerance: High
- Pests/Diseases: Stem and root rot.
- Growing conditions: Grow this plant in a warm, dry, elevated area which is not prone to flooding. It is highly drought and heat tolerant and will not need any supplemental water once established.
- Characteristics: Leaves are thick, stemless, sessile, and grow in a basal rosette formation. Leaf shape is linear with a sharp apex. White, thread-like fibers curl off of the leaf margins. The cream-white, bell-shaped flowers emerge on 5-6 ft tall panicles from the center of the rosette. The fruit is a green, oblong capsule.
- Propagation: By seeds or by cuttings.
- Wildlife: This plant is exclusively pollinated by Yucca moths. Other moth species use it as a host plant for their larvae.
- Facts: The fruit can be cooked and eaten after seeds are removed, and the flower petals can be eaten in salad.
- Designer considerations: Good border or foundation plant for xeric or rock gardens.
