Yucca guatamalensis

Yucca recurvifolia (or maybe gloriosa). Yucca guatamalensis is a common houseplant in the North, but not cold hardy outside in Zone 7. Recurvifolia is about hardy to 6b reliabily (gloriosa to Zone 7). You should be able to puchase recurvifolia at a better garden center--not really all that exotic and they have been used in the area for quite some time. Gloriosa is not as readily sold in the NYC Metro area, but there are persistent colonies of it at local botanical gardens. They both will eventually develope a trunk of several feet. Unlike a lot of dryer climate Yuccas, these species don't seem to mind the humid and wet East Coast climate.

This post was edited by njoasis on Mon, Jul 1, 13 at 8:14

good point... didn't notice the climate

Definitely a Y. Recurvifolia, they are pretty common around NYC, they definitely don't mind the wet weather like most yuccas. I've seen some nice gloriosa's around here so they seem to be somewhat cold hardy. They are pretty much the closest you can get to an agave-look in NYC without the trouble of trying to keep one alive. Yucca Faxoniana is by far the most interesting yucca I have seen in NYC long term!

-Alex

Local nursery was selling the tricolor Y. Gloriosa so I picked up two for a raised bed, on the south side of house, full sun etc.., so should be fine. Truth is, everytime I glance over at them, I think 'agave'--they look so agave-like. I have seen a variety of supposed cold hardy agave. Didn't get it at the time, because didn't want to deal with those prickly leaves so close to the house and I prefer the subtropical/wet look to the xeroscaping with Agaves and most of the Yuccas. But this year! How would you keep desert or Med. species from rotting away with incessant rainfall and tropical humidity. (My rosemary bushes looked stressed out already!!) Will have to check out the Y. foxoniana though.

Here is one I saw at the St.Louis zoo a few years ago.

Good luck with your gloriosa. I think there are some recurvifolia and gloriosa hybrids around which sound pretty interesting.

Here's a street view pic of the Y. Faxoniana in my neighborhood. It almost looks fake (I used to think it was), but it's grown a lot since it was first planted there around 2004-2005).

to get the var. gloriosa at the local Lowes the other day and they were all sold out...now I can't find em anywhere.