Yucca aloifoliaSpanish Bayonet

The Yucca aloifolia, commonly known as the Spanish Bayonet, is an upright trunk-forming yucca of the coastal dunes and sandy woods of the south eastern United States, the Caribbean and Mexico. Stiff, dark green, sharply pointed leaves are held in dense spirals along the stem, and a heavy panicle of cream bells is carried in summer.

It builds a genuine vertical stem rather than staying as a ground rosette, which makes it useful where a hard architectural line is wanted at eye level. Its leaf tips are extremely sharp and it must be sited away from circulation.

Specifications

• Height3 to 5 metres
• Width1 to 2 metres, clumping from basal offsets
• Native toThe south eastern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, on coastal dunes and sandy soils
• FoliageStiff, dark green, sharply pointed leaves held in dense spirals along an upright stem; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilRequires well-drained sandy soils; tolerates poor, alkaline and coastal sands and dislikes wet ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow; strongly drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in arid, semi-arid, subtropical and coastal regions and tolerates frost

Additional Features

• FormUpright trunked column of spiralled leaves, giving a hard vertical architectural line
• FlowersHeavy panicle of cream bells, often flushed purple outside, carried in summer
• UsesArchitectural accent planting, coastal dune and resort landscapes, boundary and barrier planting, large planters
• SpacingPlant 1.5 to 2 metres apart for a clumped vertical group
• Low MaintenanceRemove dead lower leaves and spent flower panicles; no feeding required
• Pest ResistanceRobust with few significant pest or disease problems
• Drought ToleranceHigh, holding form through extended dry heat with no irrigation
• Salt ToleranceHigh, growing naturally on coastal dunes within reach of salt spray
• ToxicityThe leaf tips are extremely sharp and can cause puncture injuries; site well away from paths, play areas and seating

The Spanish Bayonet gives a vertical architectural line on coastal sand, provided it is kept well clear of anywhere people walk.