Apartment Garden Blues (Blog): Largest Yucca in the World?
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- Published on Friday, March 08 2013 02:48
- Written by Alexandra Martin
The Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif., has one of my favorite gardens in Southern California. The estate of railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington is well known for its Japanese garden, Gutenberg Bible and famous “Pinkie” and “Blue Boy” paintings, but it has another gem that is less well known: the largest Yucca filifera in the world. According to the Huntington’s website, this specimen is 60 feet tall. I had to stand way back in order to fit the whole specimen into my camera's viewfinder.
The Yucca filifera is often confused with another Yucca species: the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia). The Huntington may have the tallest one known for the species. This plant is native to Mexico, and the indigenous people use it for roof coverings.
During flowering season, the Yucca produces a large hanging cluster of white flowers. Check it out at the Huntington Library in the spring and summer when it is expected to flower.
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Alexandra Martin is a professional writer from Southern California who grows vegetables, herbs, lots of aloe vera and one giant Boston fern in her balcony garden. She also grows dracaena, pothos and English ivy indoors. She loves traveling and birdwatching in addition to gardening.
