Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'

Common name: Variegated Adam's Needle

Description: This striking evergreen perennial creates dramatic architectural impact with its bold sword-shaped leaves. The rigid foliage features a bright golden-yellow central stripe with dark green margins, creating year-round colour interest. Distinctive white curly threads peel away from the leaf edges, adding textural appeal. In mid to late summer, established plants produce spectacular flower spikes reaching up to 1.5 metres tall, bearing cascading creamy-white bell-shaped blooms that are lightly fragrant. The contrast between the variegated foliage and white flowers creates an exotic, tropical appearance. 'Color Guard' forms a slowly expanding clump and is perfect for adding Mediterranean or contemporary styling to borders, gravel gardens, or containers.

Other benefits: evergreen foliage, architectural structure, fragrant summer flowers, drought tolerant, deer resistant, excellent for coastal gardens

Wildlife attraction: bees, moths, pollinators

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 0.6m x 0.9m (foliage); flower spikes to 1.5m

Position: full sun essential for best variegation and flowering

Soil pH: adaptable; thrives in neutral to slightly alkaline soils; tolerates poor soils

Moisture: minimal watering required; extremely drought tolerant; must have well-drained soil, especially in winter

Winter hardiness: fully hardy to -20°C and below