The yucca is a shrubby plant of sculptural appearance, with a rosette of rigid, pointed leaves and a spectacular upright flower spike.
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Liliopsida |
| Order | Asparagales |
| Family | Asparagaceae |
| Genus | Yucca |
| Species | Yucca gloriosa |
It is a perennial shrubby plant of up to 2.5 metres in height, with long, rigid, very pointed dark green leaves arranged in a rosette. It produces a large flower panicle that can exceed 2 metres in height, laden with bell-shaped white flowers, sometimes tinged with purple.
It is native to the south-eastern United States, where it grows on dunes and sandy coastal ground. Thanks to its drought resistance and architectural habit, it is grown as an ornamental in gardens all over the world with temperate and Mediterranean climates.
Genetic studies have revealed that Yucca gloriosa has a natural hybrid origin, arising from a cross between two other yucca species, Yucca aloifolia and Yucca filamentosa, which grow together on the Atlantic coast of the south-eastern United States.
