Friday, November 7, 2014

Our Yucca rostrata collection earns the weekly title as two years’ worth of favorite plant posts wrap up (and change is in the air…)

It was two years ago today that I started recognizing a favorite plant in my garden with a weekly feature. That’s 104 posts, none of which ever honored Sammy, or any of our seven Yucca rostrata, how is that possible?

Sammy came to live with us in 2008 and has been a strong presence on this blog since the very beginning. His larger than life personality is undeniable, and in fact he photo-bombed most of Gerhard’s photos of the back garden taken during the Garden Bloggers Fling last summer.

I never did take the time to trim up his bottom leaves this year, too bad because that really shows off his tall trunk.

It’s the pair of Y. rostrata in the corner of the front garden that are really stand-outs right now (maybe because I walk by them several times a day when I take Lila out).

In fact they’re starting to develop trunks!

When we bought Alberta (yes, some of them have names, some do not) she already had a short trunk.

As did Lil’ Sanford (who also needs a haircut)…

Some of the rostrata are greener, some are bluer – like Sammy – indicating they are the ‘Sapphire Skies’ introduction from Cistus Nursery.

The only drawback to their spiky beauty is how easily needles, leaves, and other debris get caught up in them. But that’s a small price to pay for a plant that is so carefree and cold-hardy.

The stats:
  • eventually grows to over 10ft tall with a 4-5ft wide explosion of leaves at the top of a thick trunk (which can occasionally branch)
  • heat and drought tolerant, prefers sun to bright shade
  • fairly accepting of most soil types but doesn’t like standing water
  • evergreen, with tall white bloom spikes (fairly typical yucca blooms)
  • reportedly hardy to USDA Zone 5, but a solid performer to Zone 7

Now about that change…when I began the “favorites” series I was still posting here five days a week, now it’s four (Wednesdays being my day to post on the plant lust blog) and I find I occasionally want to write about something other than a favorite plant. I don’t want to stop all together, just not feel the requirement to do so weekly. Another consideration is that many of you have been sharing your weekly (bi-weekly, monthly) favorites here and I want to keep learning about the plants you’re excited to be growing.

So here’s the plan: the last Friday of every month will be the favorite plant round-up here on danger garden. That day you can be assured I’ll be posting about a favorite (although I plan to do so on other days as well) and ask for links to yours. You are still welcome (encouraged) to post a link to your favorites here whenever, but I hope that you’ll come around on the last Friday and share a rundown of any and all favorites posts you’ve done throughout the month - be that one, three or more.

I truly appreciate all who have joined up with sharing a favorite plant and hope this change makes easier for you to do so, and not more difficult. So...what's your fav this week?

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

22 comments:

  1. Your Yucca rostratas are such beautiful structural plants. Your blog is the first place I ever saw one. I'm thinking of overhauling the gravel garden next spring, and I'd like to add a couple of Yucca rostratas then, in place of the Walker's Low Nepeta.

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    1. I think that would look wonderful Alison! Cistus usually always has a good assortment of sizes.

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  2. I'm amazed, too, that you haven't featured your Yucca rostrata before! It's so emblematic of your garden. I think the change in approach is a good one and look forward to participating in your monthly wrap-up. Right now, I have another spikey plant to share: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-favorite-plant-this-week-dyckia.html

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    1. Thanks Kris, I'm glad to hear you think so. You've been such a great supporter of the fav's and I've loved learning more about the plants in your garden.

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  3. I love Yucca rostrata. Easily one of my top 5 plants of all time. I have four, as well as four closely related species (Y. ridigda, Y. linearifolia, Y. thompsoniana), and could easily create a garden featuring them as focal points. I just wish they'd hurry up and grow a bit faster!

    My favorite plant this week: Agave 'Sharkskin', primarily because I just put one in the ground was reminded again how beautiful it is.

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    1. Sharkskin is a fine agave, where did you plant it?

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  4. The second picture is reminiscent of your earlier blog graphic with Lila and the spiky plants. Although you've never featured your gorgeous Yucca rostratas, I think we all assumed that it was a favorite of yours, kind of like how we assume the pope is Catholic:) They're looking beautiful!

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    1. Wow, great memory Peter, you're right! And thanks, you made me laugh with the pope statement.

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  5. We're not regular in joining the weekly meme but certainly do enjoy reading your weekly entries! Monthly round up sounds just as good too.

    Yucca rostrata - such an architectural plant and Sammy certainly deserves being the centrepiece of that bed! Still underused but we've found they do establish much easier that we first thought, tougher and hardier too.

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    1. You guys have joined up quite a few times, thank you. There is no denying they're fabulous plants.

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  6. I met Yucca rostrata with your blog...Now I have got one...it should have a name too but I am not as original as you with that :). Yay for Sammy, Alberta, Lil’ Sanford and friends!!! ohhh, how can Lila be so cute walking through your garden:). Beautiful opening post picture.

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    1. The name thing is kind of silly and I certainly don't do it on purpose, it just happens!

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  7. These feel like old friends after seeing them in your garden and blog. We're even on a first name basis, and I have invited some of their cousins over to my place, where I hope they will be happy.
    I've taken some liberties with the favorites theme this time: http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/4097

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    1. I like it when people take liberties, can't wait to read all about it!

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  8. Oh man do I want one, two or three of these Sammy's! Where in the world would I get them? Maybe Ruth Bancroft......hmmmm going to look into that. And I remember it photo bombing Gerhards photos. Loved it! My favorite this week is my Echeveria Mahogany Rose. You can see it on my latest post. I will be dividing it. I think there were 4. I gave one to a visitor. Just can't help making people happy.

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    1. Gerhard should certainly know where to send you, I can't believe you don't already have a couple. That color of the Mahogany Rose is stunning, and I'm sorry to hear you're laid up!

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  9. Guess what? I've got a 'Sapphire Skies' Y. rostrata in my Zone 5b garden that I've had for several years! It hasn't done well (hasn't grown), but it hasn't died, even after last winter, which was the hardest we're ever likely to experience. It will likely never develop a trunk and it looks so puny I probably should just rip it out, but it's such a trouper, I don't have the heart. You probably wouldn't even recognize it as being what it is. LOL. Yours are gorgeous!

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    1. That's fabulous Kylee! Well, not the part about it not growing but the fact it's still alive. You've got quite the spiky collection!

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  10. I love your Yucca rostrata collection and like other readers, I first learned about them from you. Now (also thanks to you) I have a good-sized one in my garden that looks like it might begin trunking next year (fingers crossed.)
    My favorite plant this week is one of my all-time faves, Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Steroidal Giant' http://mulchmaid.blogspot.com/2014/11/tetrapanax-papyrifer-steroidal-giant-is.html

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    1. You know I'm a sucker for the tetrapanax, off to read bout your fav!

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  11. Like others have said, your blog was what introduced me to Yucca rostrata. Seeing as I've never seen them here though, I resorted to growing from seed. So by the time I'm dead they might look as good as Sammy :)
    No favourite for me this week - I had it ready, but as has happened before I didn't have a name for it, and couldn't bring myself to do it. "Unknown grass" isn't that appealing. So the investigation continues! The change sounds good also.

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    1. Oh but then maybe you would have found out a name for it! Are you on Facebook? there's a group there called Plant Idents and it's wonderful. Put a photo of an unknown plant up and BINGO somebody can tell you what it is.

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