Yucca pallida
Encyclopedia
Yucca pallida, sometimes called Pale yucca, is a species of yucca
native to Northern Mexico and parts of the blackland prairies of northern and central Texas
, and notable for its light-colored leaves
that range from a pale blue-gray to sage-green in color.
The rosettes average 20-50 cm tall and 30-80 cm in diameter, with leaves 15-40 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, being widest around the midpoint. The rosettes sit directly on the ground, with little or no trunk. The leaves have a yellow to brown terminal spine, and are generally flat, possibly with some waviness or rolling along the edges.
The inflorescence
is a panicle
, 1-2.5 meters tall, with up to 100 bell-shaped flower
s, each 5-7 cm long, with color ranging from light green to cream.
It is known to hybridize with Yucca rupicola, which has a similar appearance, but whose leaves are more twisted and curved.
Although not common in horticulture
, its color, size, and moderate hardiness (down to 0 °F or −18 °C) make it a good alternative to other types of yuccas.
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
native to Northern Mexico and parts of the blackland prairies of northern and central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and notable for its light-colored leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
that range from a pale blue-gray to sage-green in color.
The rosettes average 20-50 cm tall and 30-80 cm in diameter, with leaves 15-40 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, being widest around the midpoint. The rosettes sit directly on the ground, with little or no trunk. The leaves have a yellow to brown terminal spine, and are generally flat, possibly with some waviness or rolling along the edges.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
, 1-2.5 meters tall, with up to 100 bell-shaped flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s, each 5-7 cm long, with color ranging from light green to cream.
It is known to hybridize with Yucca rupicola, which has a similar appearance, but whose leaves are more twisted and curved.
Although not common in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, its color, size, and moderate hardiness (down to 0 °F or −18 °C) make it a good alternative to other types of yuccas.
External links
- Yucca pallida care
- Common names of yucca species
- Die Gattung Yucca Fritz Hochstätter
- Yucca I http://yuccaagavaceae.com/photos/details.php?image_id=88 Verbreitungskarte I Fritz Hochstätter
- Page on Yucca pallida, with pictures
- Page with picture growing in wild near Killeen