Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca)
Yucca filamentosa
Family Asparagaceae
Adam's needle looks like it wandered out of the desert, but this yucca is native from the Gulf to New England and hardy to zone 4. All year it holds an evergreen, sword-leaved rosette; in summer it launches a flower spike five to eight feet tall, hung with cream bells.
Drought, salt, sand, and neglect roll off it; hummingbirds and birds visit the towering bloom, and one particular moth is its sole pollinator — a partnership few garden plants can claim. Site it away from paths, since the leaf tips are sharp, and let it anchor the dry bed.
Where to buy adam's needle (hardy yucca) — 1 nursery compared
Full Sun
Low water
Slow growth
Native to North America
Attracts hummingbirds
From the print shop
Growing adam's needle (hardy yucca)? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries adam's needle (hardy yucca) — Yucca filamentosa, print Nº 2, “Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca).”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what adam's needle (hardy yucca) actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-10Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Common problems
Common adam's needle (hardy yucca) problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Root Rot in wet clay
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Growing & propagation
Growing adam's needle (hardy yucca)
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Very low
Drought- and salt-proof
Soil- Sandy, sharp drainage
Hates wet clay · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- Spring
Cut the spent flower spike; remove dead outer leaves. It offsets into clumps.
Spacing- 2-3 ft
How to plant & propagate adam's needle (hardy yucca)
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Seasonal care & spray guidance
The adam's needle (hardy yucca) growing playbook
When to spray adam's needle (hardy yucca)
Growing season. Drainage is everything.
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Yearly calendar
The adam's needle (hardy yucca) year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomPruneBloomJune to August
PruneMarch to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Yucca filamentosa
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
Attracts- Birds, Hummingbirds
Habitat- Dry/rocky
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What adam's needle (hardy yucca) is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxicEdible flowers; sharp leaf tips — site away from paths
Use- Architectural accent
- Use
- Xeriscape
- Use
- Native evergreen
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a adam's needle (hardy yucca) variety
'Color Guard' (gold-striped), 'Bright Edge', 'Ivory Tower'; native species is bulletproof
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca)
Yucca filamentosa
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Yucca filamentosa
- Plant family
- Asparagaceae
- Growth habit
- Shrub · Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- YUFI
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) questions, answered straight.
Is adam's needle (hardy yucca) safe for kids and pets?
Adam's Needle (Hardy Yucca) is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Edible flowers; sharp leaf tips — site away from paths. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate adam's needle (hardy yucca)?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where adam's needle (hardy yucca) sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia