This Yucca linearifolia blue form, also called Y. linearis is a special and still rare yucca. It has been introduced on the market by Drs. C.N. Klijn through his nursery in Tucson around 1995.

There are two species of Y. linearifolia: a green form which is wide spread and has been described in 1995, and a blue variety. Mr. Klijn discovered this variety at one of his many fieldtrips of the last 30 years in Northern Mexico. The blue form has its origin in the north eastern part of Mexico in the state of Nuevo Leon, in the deep gorges of streams around the city of Galeana where it grows in small colonies on steep and very rocky hill slopes. It has flexible, long blue/grey leaves up to 50-120 cm long and 6-8 mm in width, forming a perfectly spherical head. The Y. linearifolia forms a cluster of 3-5 smaller trunks around a central trunk and can grow up to 200-250 cm in nature, but in cultivation on our farm we have reached heights of 4 m. This plant can withstand temperatures below -18°C and has some other unique qualities that makes it stand out. It forms multiple trunks at the base that can be propagated through cuttings. So if for any reason the base of the trunk is rotten or broken, it can be cut off and the plant will make new roots through the outer trunk layer. Another remarkable quality is that if the crown is rotten away you can treat it for mould and the plant will make new heads. The blue form is a fast grower, the green form is much slower. We have never seen Y. linearifolia branching in nature, but in cultivation this happens sometimes after flowering. Tropical Centre has several branched specimens in its collection.

Usually in cultivation, due to better feeding and the lack of rain and wind, the green form changes into a bluish-green colour. It still is not and does not look like the true blue form. The green form has always shorter leaves compared to the blue form and the green form is slow growing, the blue form is fast growing and more frost resistant.

Also interesting is that the green form grows pups on the roots to form a group a lot sooner than the blue form, so even when the trunks are no longer than 1m the green form can form nice pups and grow out to a very attractive ornamental group.

As a matter of fact Yucca linearis was already described in 1905, as a variety of Yucca rostrata Engelmann ex Trelease because of the similarity in vegetative parts. Official sheets include flowers and leaves and did bear the name linearis. In 1985 David J. Ferguson also found this species, and found out that this was the Trelease described, and that it was not a variation of Y.rostrata but must be recognised as a special rank of Yucca linearis (Trelease) Ferguson, because it already had this name since 1905. But before Ferguson could finally publish his article in Cactus and Succulent Journal (U.S.), Vol. 68 in May 1996, naming it Yucca linearis, there appeared an article in Brittonia , Vol 47, in Dec. 1995, from K.H.Clary, were she described the same plant but gave it another name, Yucca linearifolia. Mr. Klijn, through his Tucson based nursery, already sold these sp. as Y. linearis, so the trade name spread before the article from Clary showed up. But the name Yucca liniarifolia has priority these days as the proper name at species rank, so we use this name now.

Ever since Mr. Smeets from Tropical Centre merged with the nurseries of Mr. Klijn in Holland and the USA we distribute this remarkable sp. and have a spectacular stock of farm grown specimen size plants….both the blue and the green form.

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.