Pronounciation: YUK-ka li-near-i-FOL-ee-a

Hardiness zones:
Sunset 8-9, 12-24
USDA 7-11

Landscape Use: Textural and floral accent, specimen, rock gardens, xeriscape design motifs.

Form & Character: Upright, tough and rugged, yet domesticated, spiked, refined, arid.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, fibrous, monocot, perennial medium to large shrub, very slow growth rate to 10-to 15-feet tall (typically much shorter in Phoenix), sparingly branched, caulescent. Persistent senescent foliage drape skirt-like along the trunk if left unpruned.

Foliage/Texture: Numerous narrow, rosetted leaves forming a dense, rounded "head", flexible and sometimes slightly revolute to 24- to 30-inches long, margins smooth to subtly denticulate, terminus sharp and pointed, but not rigid, glaucous green or glaucous blue; fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Clustered white bell-shaped flowers on a 3-feet tall stalk; fruits not ornamental.

Seasonal Color: White flowers during spring.

Temperature: Tolerant of cold to -10^o to -25^oF. Might show leaf tip dieback during excessively hot summers, especially if located in full sun.

Light: Full sun to filtered shade or some shade from western summer sun, no full shade.

Soil: Tolerant of most soil conditions provided they are well drained.

Watering: Rarely apply supplemental water after landscape establishment.

Pruning: If desired, remove persistent senescent leaves from trunk.

Propagation: Seed, tissue culture.

Disease and Pests: Root or stem rot in persistent damp to wet soils.

Additional comments: Linear leaf yucca is a relatively new landscape plant introduction to the Phoenix area. This taxon was first published surprisingly recently in Brittonia 47:394 (1995). Linear leaf yucca is an excellent shrubby yucca for Phoenix xeric landscape designs, similar to Yucca rostrata. Its flowers attract butterflies and moths. There are a few cultivated selections including 'Line Dance', which has striated variegation on its leaves.