Beschorneria yuccoides - flowerspike (Cordyline australis in the background)

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Beschorneria yuccoides

Size

ex 1.5L pot

Availability: Sold Out

£14.99

Description

Beschorneria yuccoides is a fabulous Yucca-like plant from Mexico with broad silvery-blue foliage and the most magnificent inflorescence that emerges from mature plants in summer looking like a curious alien creature. The pink peduncle grows rapidly to around 2 metres high and the floral bracts - also pink but with green at their apex - start to unfold revealing the small green flowers with pink pedicels. The entire structure resembles a denizen from a Star Wars bar scene or some horse-eared botanical antenna intent on relaying your every gardening move back to headquarters.

More hardy than it is generally given credit for, it survives perfectly well outside and unprotected at the Nursery, putting up with the usual snow and frosts throughout the winter. Ensure it has a free-draining gritty substrate and a sunny reasonably-sheltered aspect. In colder regions it may need fleece protection but make sure you lift the fleece on milder days so that it doesn't rot under there.

After flowering the central growing point may die back and new offsets form to become the next growing point. If you provide it with enough space it can form a large clump.

There is a spuriously-named 'cultivar' doing the rounds called 'Quick Silver' but as far as I can see there is no difference from the type species.

Additional Information

Order	Asparagales
Family	Asparagaceae
Sub-Family	Agavoideae
Synonyms	Beschorneria hidalgorupicola, Beschorneria yuccoides subsp. yuccoides
Geographical Origin	Mexico: Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz,
Cultivation	Well-drained, heavily-gritted, warm spot. Full sun. Limestone in the substrate. Watch out for snails that munch on it and hide among its lower leaves
Eventual Height	1-2m
Eventual Spread	1-2m
Hardiness	Hardy to at least -8C depending on its drainage and surrounding shelter and the overall length of sub-zero temperatures. Fleece is a sensible precaution in colder regions but ensure it gets enough air so that it doesn't rot