Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa)

Quick Facts

• Type: shrub
• Size: 2-4 ft foliage, 6 ft flower spike
• Sun: full
• Water: low
• Soil: Well-drained sand
• USDA zones: 7-10

Curly white filaments edge the leaves; yucca moths pollinate the tall flower spikes.

One of the great plant-pollinator love stories – the yucca moth exists only for these flowers.

In the Landscape

A sculptural evergreen for dry, sunny borders, rock gardens, and coastal plantings. The 6-foot flower spike is a summer exclamation point; plant it where the curly leaf filaments catch the light.

Care & Propagation

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil and then leave it alone — it's extremely drought-tolerant once established. Choose the spot carefully: the deep taproot resprouts for years, making it nearly impossible to move. Cut the spent flower stalk at the base after blooming.

Dig offsets from the base of an established clump and replant — the easiest method by far. Root cuttings taken in late winter also work, and seed germinates in warm, sandy soil.

Wildlife Value

This is one of nature's great partnerships: yucca flowers are pollinated only by the tiny yucca moth, which deliberately fertilizes each bloom before laying eggs inside — her larvae eat some seeds, leaving most to grow. Hummingbirds also visit the flowers.

🌱 Fun fact: Yucca leaves contain some of the strongest plant fibers in North America — they were twisted into fishing line, nets, and cordage long before nylon existed.

← Browse all Florida native plants

🌴 In Florida

One of the great plant-pollinator love stories – the yucca moth exists only for these flowers.

🌿 Keep exploring

More Florida natives worth meeting:

• Allegheny chinquapin (Castanea pumila)
• American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
• American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)