Re: Yucca question from rec.gardens
It is strange to read of Y. elephantipes as an indoor plant - tho' it is
now being promoted here for the same purposes. I have vivid
memories of a mature specimen that grew in a street that I passed
down quite often. It was a giant; it must have been well over 20m
tall. It towered over other trees in the garden, and was much higher
than the 2 storey house on the property. I couldn't say what the
diameter of the trunk may have been but it bore a close
resemblance to that of an old lombardy poplar. It carried hundreds
of growing heads and an almost equal number of flowers. I was
devastated when I saw it had been cut down and bull-dozed to
enable the construction of a security gate. I often wonder if it was
taken to the dump or snapped up by some smart nursery person
who knew how easy it is to propagate from stem cuttings.
There is a wholesale nursery in Queensland marketing a number of
fancy cultivars. I first bought SILVER STAR, with a broad silvery
grey streak down the centre of each leaf. It cost me AUS$89.00 -
well, it is a fashion accessory! Then I bought a form with a yellow
marginal strip and somewhat longer, more lax leaves. It was
cheaper too. The same company is marketing the common plain
green form and also what they claim to be a 'dwarf' compact form. I
haven't fallen for the charms of either of these yet, but I have bought
a number of other species that look very interesting.
regards
trevor n
Trevor Nottle
Garden Historian, Garden Writer, Designer, Consultant
WALNUT HILL, 5 Walker Street, Crafers, SA 5152 AUSTRALIA
Tel./ Fax. 61 8 83394210
