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Hesperaloe parviflora 'Yellow Sun' (Yellow Red Yucca) - A stemless succulent with clumps of arching and spreading grass-like foliage to 3 to 4 feet tall. The leathery long, narrow leaves have deep grooves and white fraying at the margins. Clumps spread slowly to up to 6 feet wide. In mid-summer the clusters of yellow flowers are borne on tall flower stalks, 5-9 feet long, that arch up and outward.
Plant in full sun or light shade in hot inland gardens. Drought tolerant but appreciates some irrigation in summer. Hardy to at least 0° F and possibly as low as -5° F. A good clean plant for desert and succulent gardens. Plant in masses or use in pots. Unarmed leaves make it useful along pathways.
Hesperaloe parviflora is native to the Chihuahuan desert of west Texas east and south into central and south Texas and northeastern Mexico around Coahuila. The name Hesperaloe means western aloe with the combination the Greek word 'Hesperis' meaning "of the evening" or "western" with "aloe" in reference to this plant being found in the North America (in the west) and superficially looking like plants in the genus Aloe. The specific epithet is from the Latin words 'parvus' meaning "small" and 'flora' meaning "flower" in reference to the small flowers are scattered along the inflorescence. The plant was first described as Yucca parviflora by John Torrey in the "Report on the United States and Mexican boundary Survey" in 1859 and was renamed Aloe yuccaefolia Asa Gray in "Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1868 but and then Hesperaloe yuccaefolia when George Engelmann described the plant in Sereno Watson's "United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel vol. 5". The name currently used is the combination that John Merle Coulter used in his description in "Contributions from the United States National Herbarium" in 1894. Other common names include False Red Yucca, Texas Red Yucca, Samandoque, Coral Yucca Red Flower Yucca and Hummingbird Yucca.
We first received the yellow form of Hesperaloe parviflora from plantsman Gary Hammer in the mid-1990s and have sold it on and off since 2001. For more information about the species see our listing of Hesperaloe parviflora.
Information displayed on this page about Hesperaloe parviflora 'Yellow Sun' is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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