Thursday, January 16, 2014

Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

Recently I arrived home at dusk, the light from the sky was steel-grey and the foliage in the front garden all sort of blended together. Well, everything except for the foliage of the Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard', it was glowing as though lit from within.

Seriously...

I tend to overlook these plants most of the year. They do their job; look good and bite the little soccer players who pay no heed to where they step.

But they certainly do lend a nice bit of light when it is so needed.

See how the one up in the main part of the garden just jumps out at you?

Gosh maybe I need to actively seek out more bright yellow foliage?

The stats on Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'...
  • hardy in USDA Zones 5a - 10b
  • eventual size of 2ft tall (without the flower spike) and 3ft wide, as they do clump
  • heat and drought tolerant and loves sun
  • flowers in the summer and the hummingbirds do take notice
  • in the cooler months the yellow center stripe can take on a dark pink tint

What plant has caught your attention this week? Please tell us about it!

I'm also linking this post to Pam Penick's "Foliage Follow-up" which occurs every month on the 16th, the day after the popular Garden Blogger's Bloomday meme. Foliage Follow-up is a celebration of the real star of our gardens, the foliage.

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

30 comments:

  1. Hello,
    Yucca with red color aren't yucca flaccida?

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    1. Yucca flaccida didn't ring a bell so I looked it up and was reminded of Yucca flaccida 'Golden Sword'...they look so similar, both appear to get that pink tinge at the tips. Great Plant Picks says "This evergreen shrub forms a rosette of bold, arching, striped leaves, which are not as stiffly upright as those of its cousin, Yucca filamentosa." yet their images definitely show stiffly upright leaves. Aren't plant names fun? (sarcasm)

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  2. I love this plant. So easy to grow. So easy on the eyes. Not so easy on the hands and ankles but this just adds to the charm.

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  3. Your 'Color Guard' look so healthy in this weather! Mine seems to hate winter and gets kind of curled on itself. It's never been very happy where it is at any time of the year, but I'm not sure why. Now that I see what it should look like, I'll think about moving it to our hell strip in anticipation of the parking for the Organic Brewer's Fest and the Polish Festival this summer!

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    1. Do it! And add a few more for good measure.

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  4. Absolutely love this plant! It illuminates its own spot and it looks like it has light coming from within it!

    Favourite Plant of the Week

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  5. I've been thinking about Y. 'Color Guard' as a replacement for the lime Nicotiana in front of my Prostanthera. Seeing yours has moved me further in that direction. I have one now - in a pot - but its been hard to visualize what it will look like when it's all grown up.

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    1. An added benefit in your climate is that it doesn't need much water...

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  6. These look great when it's grey outside, but I've always thought they look a bit sickly in bright sunshine. Of course, I think most yellow-leaved cultivars of plants look sickly, so it may just be me.

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    1. Funny I've never noticed them to look sickly in the sunshine, if anything I've thought they looked a little too vibrant and wished they'd tone it down a bit. I do understand though how we all see "sickly" different in plants. For example Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web' has always looked that way to me.

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  7. Gorgeous! These are every bit as lovely as the yellow variegated phormiums and they don't mind a winter freeze! Who could ask for anything more. I'm fond of all the variegated yuccas!

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    1. Funny you say that as I know someone who replaced her dead yellow phormiums with 'Color Guard' after the PKW's...I do agree, just wish they had the height of the phormiums.

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    2. 👍

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  8. I need your advice, oh spiky one. When you look at my FFU post, do you think the Yucca looks out of place in the general scheme of the Delusional Drive border? I'm noticing how you have 'Color Guard' and (rostrata?) cheek by jowl, and I'm thinking I could add some of those along with a couple more of the wider leaved, bluer yuccas like the one lonely specimen. Maybe here and there along the length of the border for continuity?

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    1. Oh you know I love giving spiky advice, especially when it includes advocating for more!

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  9. With Color Guard looking so good in your garden, who needs Bright Star? They are gorgeous. I can't wait till mine looks as good. You definitely need more yellow foliage.

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    1. Oh but I do love the cool yellow of the 'Bright Star'...

      Any recommendations for yellow?

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  10. Wow, it shines like a beacon! I love where the leaves graduate from yellow to pink, so pretty.
    My fave has a teeny speck of yellow: http://crmbsgrdn.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/my-favourite-plant-in-garden-this-week_17.html

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    1. Nice teaser! I can't wait to find out what your fav is!

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  11. One of my favorites in all seasons!

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  12. Love the yuccas, but look at those clean streets and sidewalks! Sorry, to stray off topic, just envious of all that moisture...
    http://agrowingobsession.com/?p=51018

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    1. Wait, let me go take another shot which better shows the pine needles and cones that litter the sidewalk and street in front of our neighbors house. The ones that wash into our yard, sidewalk, curb-front with every hard rain. Not that I'm bitter about the mess...

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  13. Mine looks great, too. I love the tinge of pink. I now wish I'd planted more than one.

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  14. How long did yours take to get that big? I have a little bitty one and it seems like it'll never size up. Yours look wonderful--you're inspiring me to add some to my front garden.

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  15. How beautiful, they seem to be like yellow lights in your yard. I think I have this and will have to go out and look tomorrow. Not sure though, maybe it's green and light green. Hmmm what a great memory! lol

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  16. I love your Yucca 'Color Guard', and I wish I had some in my garden. I keep hoping to find and buy some larger ones. Yours are such a gorgeous focal point!

    My favorite plant this week is another agave, Mr. Ripple: http://gardeninguptoeleven.blogspot.com/2014/01/mr-ripple-my-favorite-plant-this-week.html

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