Plant Profile: Yucca "Blue Boy"

Latin name: Yucca desmettiana ("YOU-ca dez-met-ee-AH-nah")
Common name: Yucca "Blue Boy"
Originally from: It doesn't exist in the wild!
Blooms: It blooms July-August with large clusters of waxy, translucent white, pendulous blooms.
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Rain is plenty.
Height x width: 4'-6' x 3'-5'
Zones: 7-10
Where to find in P. Garden: We have a group of these at PG in the middle back bed, around from the bench.

You know we love Yuccas, and this one is a fabulous new plant to the trade. While it's been called a
hybrid of Yucca desmetiana, it's also been described as Yucca aloifolia "Purpurea" and I am starting to wonder about that. I have some at home which I got from different places - one set has that very stiff, dagger-like leaf that Y. aloifolia has, although these are much smaller plants so far than the rest of my group. The rest of them have a softer, curving, leathery leaf that won't kill you. We'll see what happens...

The variety name is misleading too - it's not blue. But it is a superb maroonish-purple and that's unusual in Yuccas.

Over time, it reaches 4 to 6 feet high and up to 5 feet wide, with several stems - but it's a slow grower. In most climates the stems will grow straight upwards, but they may also swerve and meander a bit before turning upwards. We can't wait to see what ours do. Right now they appear like a huddle of Cousin Its from the Addams Family !

This plant thrives best in hot, dry climates, but it's adaptable. They say it's not bothered by humidity but I have noticed that the foliage color may vary with the weather, being more blue-green at the coast and yellowish inland. Deer steer clear of this perennial, and periods of drought will not faze it.