Nolina nelsoniiBlue Nolina

Nolina nelsonii builds a dense, almost geometric rosette of stiff blue-grey strap leaves on a stout trunk that thickens and lengthens slowly over decades. Mature plants reach three to four metres and read as a single sculptural object rather than as part of a mass.

It comes from the limestone highlands of north-eastern Mexico, and it brings that origin with it: very sharp drainage, full sun, minimal water, and a tolerance of both hard frost and severe summer heat.

Specifications

• Height2 to 4 metres, with the trunk developing slowly to around 2 metres
• Width1.5 to 2.5 metres
• Native toNorth-eastern Mexico, in Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi
• FoliageStiff, narrow, blue-grey strap leaves with finely toothed margins in a dense symmetrical rosette; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow

Conditions

• SoilRequires sharply drained rocky or sandy soils; tolerates poor and alkaline ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow; highly drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in arid and semi-arid regions and tolerates both hard frost and severe heat

Additional Features

• FormDense symmetrical rosette on a stout trunk, strongly sculptural as a single specimen
• UsesFeature and entrance specimens, xeriscape and gravel schemes, roundabout centrepieces and large containers
• SpacingPlant 2 to 3 metres apart, or set as an individual specimen
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent leaves occasionally; no feeding, pruning or irrigation programme required
• Pest ResistanceRobust where drainage is sharp; rot follows overwatering rather than pests
• Drought ToleranceAmong the most reliable architectural plants for genuinely unirrigated schemes
• Frost ToleranceTolerates hard frost, unusual for a plant of this appearance
• LongevityVery long-lived, holding form for decades with no intervention

The Blue Nolina is an architectural specimen for the hardest, driest and hottest positions in a scheme.