Yucca gloriosa

Common names include:-

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• Adam's needle
• glorious yucca
• lord's candlestick
• mound lily
• moundlily yucca
• palm lily
• Roman candle
• Sea Islands yucca
• soft-tipped yucca
• Spanish bayonet
• Spanish-dagger{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17}}
• tree lily

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Yucca gloriosa is caulescent, usually with several stems arising from the base, the base thickening in adult specimens. The long narrow leaves are straight and very stiff, growing to {{convert|30|-|50|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|2-3.5|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} wide. They are dark green with entire margins, smooth, rarely finely denticulate, acuminate, with a sharp brown terminal spine. The inflorescence is a panicle up to {{convert|2.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} long, of bell-shaped white flowers, sometimes tinged purple or red. The fruit is a leathery, elongate berry up to {{convert|8|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long.{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102065 Flora of North America v 26 p 429][http://www.botanicus.org/page/358338 Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 319.]Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida i–x, 1–806. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.Radford, A. E., H. E. Ahles & C. R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas i–lxi, 1–1183. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

Yucca gloriosa was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.{{IPNI |mode=cs1 |taxon=Yucca gloriosa |authority=L.. |id=325010-2 |access-date=2023-10-05}} Genetic evidence has shown that the species originated via multiple hybridizations between Yucca aloifolia and Yucca filamentosa.{{Citation |last1=Heyduk |first1=Karolina |last2=McAssey |first2=Edward V. |last3=Grimwood |first3=Jane |last4=Shu |first4=Shengqiang |last5=Schmutz |first5=Jeremy |last6=McKain |first6=Michael R. |last7=Leebens-Mack |first7=Jim |date=2021 |title=Hybridization History and Repetitive Element Content in the Genome of a Homoploid Hybrid, Yucca gloriosa (Asparagaceae) |journal=Frontiers in Plant Science |volume=11 |page=573767 |doi=10.3389/fpls.2020.573767 |name-list-style=amp |doi-access=free }}

Yucca gloriosa grows on exposed sand dunes along the coast and barrier islands of the lower East Coast of the United States, often together with Yucca aloifolia and a variety formerly called Yucca recurvifolia or Y. gloriosa var. recurvifolia, now Y. gloriosa var. tristis. Large, endemic populations can be found in the beach and dune environments of coastal North Carolina. {{Citation |title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do |access-date=2012-02-23 }}, search for "Yucca recurvifolia" In contrast to Y. gloriosa var. tristis, the leaves of Y. gloriosa var. gloriosa are hard stiff, erect and narrower. On the other hand, Y. aloifolia has leaves with denticulate margins and a sharp-pointed, terminal spine.

Yucca gloriosa is native to the coast and barrier islands of southeastern North America, growing on sand dunes. It ranges from extreme southeastern Virginia south to northern Florida in the United States. It is associated with Yucca filamentosa, Yucca aloifolia, and Opuntia species.

The plant is widely cultivated in warm temperate and subtropical climates, and valued as an architectural focal point. It has reportedly escaped from cultivation and naturalised in Italy, Turkey, Mauritius, Réunion, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=291793 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Yucca gloriosa]

In landscape use, little maintenance is needed other than the removal of dead leaves when the shrub nears its ultimate height. The plant is very hardy, without leaf damage at {{convert|-20|C|F|abbr=on}}, and can handle brief snow and freezing temperatures, as well as long periods of drought. {{Cite web | url = http://cals.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Yucca_gloriosa.html|title=cals.arizona.edu|access-date=1 March 2007}}

Yucca gloriosa,{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Yucca gloriosa|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/19168/Yucca-gloriosa/Details | publisher = RHS | access-date = 5 March 2021}} and the cultivars 'Variegata'{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/65193/Yucca-gloriosa-Variegata-(v)/Details | publisher = RHS | access-date = 5 March 2021}} and {{tdes|Bright Star}} = ‘Walbristar’{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/274607/i-Yucca-gloriosa-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Bright-Star-FONT-Walbristar-sup-(PBR)-sup-(v)/Details | title = {{tdes|Bright Star}} = 'Walbristar' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 11 March 2019}} have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 108 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 10 March 2019}}

Yucca gloriosa has been known to cause skin irritation and even allergic reactions upon contact. The leaf points are even sharp enough to break the skin.{{Cite web|url=http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1077.htm|title=hgic.clemson.edu|access-date=1 March 2007}}

In collections in Europe and overseas, there are many forms and hybrids (Sprenger, Förster) from the 18th and 19th centuries. The following names have been used for material of uncertain origin in the European garden flora.

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• Yucca gloriosa var. minor Carr.
• Yucca gloriosa var. obliqua Baker
• Yucca gloriosa f. obliqua (Harworth)Voss
• Yucca gloriosa f. acuminata (Sweet)Voss
• Yucca gloriosa f. pruinosa (Baker)Voss
• Yucca gloriosa f. tortulata (Baker)Voss
• Yucca gloriosa' var. medio-striata'' Planchon
• Yucca gloriosa var. robusta Carr.
• Yucca gloriosa var. nobilis Carr.
• Yucca gloriosa f. planifolia Engelmann|
• Yucca gloriosa var. plicata Engelmann
• Yucca gloriosa var. genuina Engelmann
• Yucca gloriosa var. flexilis Trelease
• Yucca gloriosa var. plicata Carr.
• Yucca gloriosa var. superba Baker
• Yucca gloriosa var. longifolia Carr.
• Yucca gloriosa var. muculata Carr.
• Yucca pendula Sieber ex Carr.
• Yucca pattens Andre
• Yucca pruinosa Baker

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• http://yuccaagavaceae.com/photos/details.php?image_id=82 Original Erstbeschreibung

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gloriosa

Category:Endemic flora of the United States

Category:Flora of the Southeastern United States

Category:Plants described in 1753

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Least concern flora of the United States

Category:Garden plants of North America

Category:Shrubs