I'm also looking for info on Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora- any details or experiences? I'm thinking of putting one on each side of my walkway, but wondering if I should be concerned about spacing them far enough that the won't scratch people on the sidewalk?
Red Yucca
Yes, Red Yuccas are beautiful and extremely hardy, but you are wise to plant then away from the edge, even though they are not spiny, they are rough to the touch.
Josephine.
I have heard not to place too much mulch near them. So far it has worked for me in a mixed bed.Any other opinions?
In one of the medians nearby, there is red yucca, Martha Gonzalas roses and dwarf miscanthus/grass You wouldn't think that the coral and the red would be nice together, but it is very pleasing.
My red yucca grow with no attention at all. Be sure not to water them too much; however, during a long,hot, dry summer, they do appreciate a drink now and then. They need well drained, not overly fertile soil . Several people in my neighborhood have them growing in the space between the sidewalk and the street. They do not seem to pose a problem for anyone walking down the sidewalk. I would plant them so that the center of each plant is at least 2.5 feet from the edge of the sidewalk because some the leaf blades sprawl instead of stand upright. Also, some of the bloom stalks have a tendency to lean over instead of being completely upright. I sometimes stake the bloom stalks. With age, they can become 3 feet wide (wider under optimum conditions); however, they tend to be quite slow growing. If the leaf blades sprawl into your walkway, they can be cut off or trimmed back if necessary. Of course, they are more attractive left to grow naturally. If they have to be dug up and moved, it may take a year or more for them to reset their roots.
The base of the plant can start rotting if mulch is right up against it and the mulch stays wet a lot of the time.. I have used gravel as a mulch in the past.
This message was edited Apr 8, 2008 6:04 PM
Sellier, I can't believe I missed this. I have some 2 yr old Red Yuccas available and I'm coming down to Magnolia for a crawfish boil on the weeekend of May 17th & 18th. I could bring them to you if you're interested.
They need sun...great plant for full or partial sun. I dug some up that ended up with too little sun and I was surprised at how long the leaves are...they didn't look that long until then. Eventually one plant becomes a clump with 2 or more plants in the clump.
Linda, i had to give the ones you gave me a haircut, they were just toooo long.