Yucca filifera is one of the largest and fast growing yucca's, it branches highly after about 3-4 m and can reach heights of  9 m with a trunk of 1.5 m wide. The sharp pointed rigid leaves are olive green and 25 to 60 cm long and 1.7-2.5 cm wide, they bear numerous curled marginal filaments, but the amount of filaments can be different.Y.filifera can form spherical heads with many green leaves what makes it sometimes easy to recognize, but branched specimen can in cultivation be confusing with Y.brevifolia. The inflorescence is very unusual, because a dense panicle of 1.5 m long with creamy white flowers is hanging down instead of standing upwards. Y.filifera grows in northeastern Mexico from the states of Chihuahua to Nuevo Leon and from there to the southern states of Hidalgo and Mexico. In Europe many can be found along the French Riviera and in Spain. Y.filifera is not so cold resistant, around -8°C the head will freeze of, but in dry climates they can take a few degrees more.

Like all yucca's they like sun and a well drained soil, in wet climates it is better to remove the panicle after a few weeks, as the flowers fall down in the crown and start rotting. The yucca is most vulnerable after flowering as the stalk leaves a hole through which rain water enters the hart which could lead to rot. When the old flower stalk has rotted away, it is better to seal the hole with cement; the new growing spears will push it aside.

In our webshop we have this yucca for sale.

Authors drs C.N. Klijn and R.H. Smeets from Tropical Centre have studied yuccas in the wild and also then thousands of import yucca plants from everywhere in Mexico and the USA. Learn more about yuccas and our yucca background through the website buttons about us, photo-albums and newsletters. If you mention us, as the source you may use our descriptions and pictures.