Walton's Plant Library

Other Names:  Blue Century Yucca

Description:

This handsome, slow growing variety bears sharp pointed, sea-green sword-like leaves, with powder blue overtones; tall spikes of cream bell flowers rise above the foliage in late spring to summer; good for dry sites and tolerates poor soil

Ornamental Features

Blue Sentry Yucca features bold panicles of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. It has attractive bluish-green foliage with hints of powder blue. The spiny sword-like leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Sentry Yucca is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Blue Sentry Yucca is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Blue Sentry Yucca will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 6 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Blue Sentry Yucca makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.