Yucca thompsoniana – Sculptural Elegance with Desert Drama
Bring architectural flair and year-round interest to your garden with the striking Yucca thompsoniana, also known as the Thompson’s Yucca or Beaked Yucca. With its sculptural silhouette, stiff powder-blue leaves, and naturally branching trunk, this hardy yucca makes a stunning statement in both contemporary and Mediterranean-style landscapes.
Native to the arid plains of Texas and northern Mexico, Yucca thompsoniana is remarkably resilient—thriving in poor, well-drained soils and tolerating drought once established. It’s an ideal choice for UK gardens seeking low-maintenance, water-wise planting schemes with visual impact.
Why Choose Yucca thompsoniana?
- Architectural Appeal: Its multi-headed form and striking blue-grey foliage add instant drama to borders, gravel gardens, and courtyard spaces.
- Hardy Beauty: More cold-tolerant than many other yuccas, this species can handle temperatures as low as -10°C when mature and well-drained.
- Low Maintenance: A sun-loving evergreen, it requires little care beyond occasional removal of older leaves.
- Wildlife Friendly: Its tall white flower spikes, when in bloom, attract bees and pollinators.
- Container Friendly: Equally happy in large pots, it’s a superb choice for terraces and patios where height and structure are needed.
Design Tip:
Pair Yucca thompsoniana with Mediterranean companions like olive trees, agaves, or ornamental grasses for a drought-tolerant display that looks good all year round. Or use it as a bold standalone feature to break up softer plantings with textural contrast.
Measurements
100 centimetres including pot approximately
Pot size 35cm by 25cm.
Also known as beaked yucca, they are very hardy and tolerate very cold U.K winters. Very similar to Yucca Rostrata with slightly broader and more rigid leaves.
A Xeric loving plant, they prefer to be kept dry but will cope with cold and wet. They can cope with temperatures down to -20 to -25.
They will grow to form a stem and often branch into multi-headed specimens.
