''Yucca filamentosa'', Adam’s needle and thread, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Asparagaceae

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

. Growing to tall, it is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

shrub valued in horticulture.

Description

Usually trunkless, it is multisuckering with heads of long, filamentous, blue-green, strappy

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

. ''Y. filamentosa'' is readily distinguished from other yucca species by white, thready filaments along the leaf margins. Flower stems up to tall bear masses of pendulous cream flowers in early summer.

Taxonomy

''Y. filamentosa'' is closely related to '' Y. flaccida'' and it is possible they should be classified as a single species.

Names

Its

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s include Adam's needle, common yucca, Spanish bayonet,''Yucca filamentosa''.
NatureServe. 2012. bear-grass, needle-palm, silk-grass, and spoon-leaf yucca.

Distribution and habitat

The species is found from southeast Virginia south to Florida, and as far west as south and southeast Texas. It has become naturalized along the Atlantic coastal plain north to

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

and

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

, and into areas of the lower Midwest. It is reportedly also naturalized in France, Italy and Turkey. This plant is most commonly found in sandy soils, especially in beach scrub and dunes, but also in fields, barrens, and rocky slopes, though it grows well also in silt or clay soils.

Ecology

The plants are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, ...

by the yucca moth ''

Tegeticula yuccasella ''Tegeticula yuccasella'', the yucca moth, is a moth of the family Prodoxidae. The species was first described by Charles Valentine Riley in 1872. It can be found in North America from Texas to southern Canada. The wingspan is 18–27 mm. ...

''. Other moth species, such as ''

Tegeticula intermedia ''Tegeticula intermedia'' is a moth of the family Prodoxidae. Along with other moth species, it is commonly known as a yucca moth. ''T. intermedia'' lives in North America, particularly the United States. The moth resides in the southwest, the G ...

'', also use this yucca as a host plant to lay their eggs.

Cultivation

''Y. filamentosa'' is widely cultivated in mild

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

and subtropical climates. A fairly compact species, it nevertheless presents a striking appearance with its sword-like leaves and dramatic flowerheads. It is naturally a focal point in the landscape, also providing a tropical touch in temperate gardens. It needs full sun and a well-drained soil, preferring an acid or slightly alkaline pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. It develops a large, fleshy, white taproot with deep lateral roots. Once planted and established, it is difficult to remove, as the roots keep sending up new shoots for many years. It is normally hardy down to , or

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

(USDA)

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

s of 5 to 9: UK H7).

Cultivars

'Bright Edge', a dwarf

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

with yellow-margined foliage and creamy flowers tinged with green, has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. ‘Color Guard’, with broad yellow stripes all year plus red stripes in the winter, has also won the award. Other cultivars include: * 'Golden Sword' - similar to 'Bright Edge', but larger * 'Ivory Tower' - creamy white flowers tinged with green

Uses

Once the seeds have been removed, the fruits can be cooked and eaten. The large flower petals can also be eaten in salads. The leaves, stems and roots of this plant can be used to stun fish. The

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

used it for this purpose.''Yucca filamentosa''.
Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan, Dearborn.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1194599 filamentosa Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the United States Least concern flora of the United States Medicinal plants of North America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus