Yucca filamentosa 'IVORY TOWER'

Ivory Tower is a stunning variety of Adam’s needle with variegated foliage. Its leaves have wide, creamy white margins. Centres are light green as the leaves emerge, changing to blue-green and dark green when they mature. It is an evergreen shrub with basal rosettes of erect, inversely lance-shaped leaves which are rigid but not sharp when touched. In second half of June it produces numerous creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers on sturdy stems, up to 160 cm tall. When in full bloom it looks like a giant lily-of-the-valley. It is suggested to remove the entire stems right after flowering.

Yucca looks great if we let it show its architectural character. Thanks to its grass-like appearance it will combine easily with compact conifers and other evergreen shrubs with leathery leaves of various shapes and sizes. Its tropical feeling will be of use in exotic-styled landscapes and can be enhanced by mulching with white or light grey gravel and stones around.

Adam’s needle is not fussy about soil type provided it is well-drained. We also grew it in partly wet site where it does surprisingly well but does not flower. Grow it in full sun and expect it to expand by making young plants near mother plant. Unwanted plants can be easily removed and transplanted in spring or autumn. Fully hardy to -29°C (USDA zone 5), perhaps a little bit more.

Last update 26-08-2014

TIPS for luxurious care:
Remove spent flowers as soon as possible. They may deface the plant, especially in rainy weather when they tend to rot soon. Remove any old, ill-looking leaves after winter leaving only stiff, healthy leaves for a great looking plant. If you feel that the mother plant is going down after flowering remove it completely down at the roots leaving its young nursling around that will become strong adults capable of flowering more quickly.