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Yucca linearifolia (Linear-leaf Yucca) - A beautiful and rare yucca from Nuevo León, Mexico into Texas. This slow growing plant has hundreds of narrow pliant blue-green 24 to 36 inch long leaves in a globular head standing above the ground on a stout trunk that can reach to 4+ feet tall with time.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil. We do not know the hardiness of this plant, but it has tolerated the coldest temperatures we have recently experienced (~25° F) without damage though we suspect this plant can go much colder. In fact we heard from a person in Austin Texas who told us that this plant survived after several days hovering around 12° F. It has also proven to be heat and drought tolerant.
In the past this plant has been considered a form of Y. rostrata (Y. rostata var. linaris) but recent treatment has placed it in its own species noting that its distinctive combination of fleshy fruit and narrow, linear, denticulate leaves sets it apart from all other yuccas. (Clary, Karen "Yucca linearifolia (Agavaceae): A New, Indehiscent, Fleshy-Fruited, Linear-Leaved Species Endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico" Brittonia, Vol. 47, No. 4.). Our plants originally from plants that Pat McNeal of McNeal Growers in Manchaca, Texas sent to Hans Hansen at Shady Oaks Nursery in Waseca, Minnesota.
The name Yucca was given to the genus by Linnaeus, perhaps by mistake, as it is the Latinized derivation of "yuca", the Caribbean name for Cassava (Manihot esculenta) an unrelated plant in the Euphorbia family that is native to the Caribbean area. Interestingly it was also Linnaeus who applied the name Manihot to Yuca. The specific epithet is from the Latin words 'linearis' meaning "narrow" or "linear" for this plants narrow parallel-sided leaves. We grew this plant from 2007 until 2021 and would still be growing this most excellent plant if we could purchase in laboratory micropropagated (tc) plants.
This information about Yucca linearifolia displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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