It grabs your attention immediately. Plant of the week – Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’ truly stands out in Scandinavian winter. It’s loud with green/yellow sword-shaped foliage. How can this exotic plant grow here? Well, actually, experts reckon that it can tolerate temperatures as low as -10-15 degress Celcius. However, in those conditions it requires nothing but full sun. Although it’s tolerant of a variety of soil types t has to be (very) well-drained. Winter dampness kills most exotic plants where I am.
Plant of the week – Yucca filamentosa
To be more precise, this particular plant can be found in the Gothenburg Botanical Garden. It forms part of new borders and is as such a tender plant. In ideal conditions it will reach an impressive height of around 2 m and a width of around 1.5 m. It will certainly be interesting following its development. Can it handle this location in the long run?
This plant is native to southeastern North America. It has won an Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. I would classify this as an architectural plant, adding form and texture to a garden. Being variegated and loud, however, I would be careful in picking neighbours. You don’t want the overall impression to be messy. Gravel gardens would be a good fit. As would sleek city and courtyard gardens.
This plant is classified as low maintenance. In mid- to late summer it will produce creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers on stems around 1-2m tall.
