Carol,

I found this short conversation from the XW experts - Fountain Hills, AZ can freeze during the winter so I'm guessing it's moderately cold-hardy, but possibly not to the degree my Yucca here is (I don't know the species, but it's flowering for the first time!).

Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Aloe Yucca - sure

I got mine from a nursery near Biltimore House. But after talking to the ppl at LA Reynolds nursery in Lewisville. I planted mine. Most searches says its at least hardy to z7 some say z6. Depending on how severe our winter gets I may cover it.

Thank you for the replies. I live not very far from Biltmore House. Today I'm hoping to photograph what I believe is a mature Yucca aloifolia in my subdivision. The homeowner stated they brought the Yucca with them from Missouri many years ago. It's a very nice specimen! The foliage looks nothing like that of the 'Purpurea' plant for sale at nurseries.
It is difficult for me to imagine it's simply a selection of aloifolia.

There seems to be a lot of uncertainty about the origin of this yucca. Some people are convinced that it is a desmettiana hybrid, but I don't know if this is true or not. It's a gorgeous yucca and I personally would not be able to resist trying it if I came across one. It's not clear to me how hardy it is.

Second picture. Is this aloifolia?

first

It sure looks like it to me because of how the leaves are tightly crowded along the stem. It's a nice plant.

Looks more like true aloifolia to me. All of the hybrids I have seen have much softer leaves.

Heres My Purpurea
{{gwi:573441}}
And here is a yucca aloifolia
{{gwi:573442}}

'Purpurea' must be a hybrid then, and should not be labeled as a selection of aloifolia. To do so is misleading and leaves those purchasing the plant without a true sense of hardiness.
There should be information available on how this plant came to be and what species are involved.

I have seen it labeled as aloe also. Must be part of the cross but the growers were positive that it was hardy. Of course I'll know for sure next March!

Carol,

If it's legitimately named 'Purpurea', I'd suspect it's a variety of a species, rather than a hybrid, which doesn't usually use a Latin word as a hybrid / cultivar name.

Chad,

That's really pretty.

Jeff that's just it, I have seen the same plant under different cultivar/ssp. At one nursery its yucca and at another its aloe. All I know is its beautiful and I'll provide winter protection if foliage damage appears. I am keeping a more complex journal this year. So I will report any problems next spring.

Your Y. aloifolia 'Purpurea' and garden looks beautiful Chad. I like the mulch your using too.

I can see why some people think there is some Y. desmettiana in it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Y. desmettiana

Thanks Carol. That Y. desmettiana is a beauty. Hope mine has half the color that one does.

I love the photos! You can see the pups , or offsets, of Yucca aloifolia are stiffly upright with fairly narrow leaves. They do not look like 'Purpurea'which has fleshier, wider and arching foliage.
Normally a new introduction has a history of its origin. Why don't we have the information on who came up with it, where, etc?
It would not be the first time a plant was labeled incorrectly. Look at the many Clematis cultivars from texensis hybrids that are named Clematis texensis _______
( Princess Diana, among many others) which are no more than 50% genetics of texensis and should be correctly labeled as Clematis 'Princess Diana'.
Anyone caring to see this :
http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=530
The cross between a large flowered hybrid and a species, texensis.
How Monrovia labels it:
http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/1308/princess-diana-clematis.php

If the Yucca cost $ 5 , it would not be a terrible loss if the hardiness was incorrect. Plants here are selling for $ 25 and we should know just how hardy it is.

It is strange that there isn't more information available. Even the Agave and Yucca book I have classifies it under aloifolia.