Yucca filamentosa

Yucca filamentosa is an evergreen, clumping rosette with stiff sword-shaped leaves edged by curling white filaments. In late spring and summer, tall stalks carry pendulous white bells; its sharp leaf tips make it best placed away from narrow paths. The [North Carolina State profile](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/yucca-filamentosa/) records pollinator value, hummingbird visits, deer resistance, and tolerance of drought, heat, salt, and soil compaction. ## Garden Use Use this architectural plant in a border, rock garden, dry garden, or coastal planting. Its established rosette supplies persistent structure through winter, while the flowering stalk rises above the foliage in bloom. The source lists it for native and pollinator gardens and as an accent or barrier. ## Growing Conditions The profile lists full sun or partial shade and clay, loam, sand, or shallow rocky soils with good drainage; it also records neutral soil and conditions from moist to occasionally dry. Give the sharp leaf tips room from paths, play areas, and other regular traffic. ## Maintenance The species is rated low maintenance and drought tolerant. Keep soil well drained and allow space around the pointed leaves. Wear gloves when clearing old leaves or the spent flower stalk. ## Utah — source scope and conditions (2026 audit) The [USU 2018 guide](https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/files/resources/firewise-landscaping-updated-2018.pdf), printed page 22, lists Yucca filamentosa & other species (some Native) as Yucca. The guide calls for widely separated, watered beds and removal of dead stalks and foliage. Beside structures it limits use to small plants that are frequently watered and weeded, with tops removed after the first hard frost. The separate [USU Firewise fact sheet](https://extension.usu.edu/forestry/publications/utah-forest-facts/002-firewise-plants-for-utah-landscapes) lists Yucca filamentosa. Its row conditions are: Evergreen; very drought tolerant. These are distinct source associations and placement conditions, not an independent fire-performance test of every species, hybrid or cultivar. Check local suitability, invasive-plant guidance, spacing, irrigation and removal of dead material. No plant is fireproof.