Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa) is a long-lived perennial shrub. It may grow 4 to 6 feet tall and boasts striking stalks of creamy-white flowers, accompanied by green fruit. Its sharp, spiny-tipped evergreen leaves make it an eye-catching addition to any landscape. Blooming in spring through early summer, it thrives in well-drained, sandy soil and enjoys full sun to part shade. Adam's Needle isn’t just a beautiful plant—it’s an essential part of the ecosystem. It hosts the cofaqui giant skipper and yucca giant skipper butterfly larvae, offers shelter for wildlife, and depends on yucca moths for pollination. As a bonus, its fruit is edible (once de-seeded) and can be cooked, while its petals add flair to salads.
- Size: 4-6 ft.
- Flower color: Showy, creamy white
- Fruit color: green
- Blooms: Spring-early summer
- Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Moisture: Well drained soil
- Soil: Sand; acidic to neutral
- May be used as a hedge
- Larval host plant for Cofaqui Giant Skipper and Yucca Giant Skipper butterflies
- Fruit can be cooked and eaten after seeds removed, while petals can be used in salads.
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