From 'Magenta Magic' to 'Bright Star': four garden-worthy yuccas

Yuccas are signature plants of the American deserts—just think of the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) in the Mojave Desert, the soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) in the Sonoran Desert, and the beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata) in the Chihuahuan Desert. Yuccas are also found across a wide swath of the southeastern US, including species such as Yucca filamentosa, Yucca aloifolia, and Yucca gloriosa

Thanks to their ease of cultivation and cold tolerance (some species are hardy to -20°F), yuccas are popular garden subjects, although they're still not grown as widely as they should. Maybe that's because they're perceived to be “unfriendly” or “dangerous” the way agaves often are? True, many yuccas have stiff leaves and sharp terminal spines, but others (like the floppy Yucca filamentosa and Yucca recurvifolia and its cultivars) are regular cuddle bunnies.

When I was at Green Acres Nursery in Sacramento recently, I noticed that they had lined up pairs of similar-looking yucca cultivars right next to each other: 'Blue Boy' and 'Magenta Magic', both with purple leaves; and 'Bright Star' and 'Color Guard', both striking variegates. 

LEFT: Yucca 'Blue Boy'  RIGHT: Yucca 'Magenta Magic'

Yucca 'Blue Boy' is often listed as a form or hybrid of Yucca desmetiana, a northern Mexican species, but it's actually a purple-leafed dwarf form of Yucca aloifolia, which is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the United States. The species grows a trunk 5 to 20 ft. in height but often topples over. 'Blue Boy' does, too—much to the annoyance of many a gardener. Personally, I quite like the look of the stems crawling along the ground (see here). Yucca 'Blue Boy' is hardy to 10°F (zone 8).

Note: 'Blue Boy' needs full sun to retain its purple coloration. In too much shade, it turns green.

Yucca 'Magenta Magic' was discovered at Briggs Nursery, a wholesale grower in western Washington, in a batch of tissue-cultured 'Blue Boy'. Its a purple-leafed dwarf form of Yucca aloifolia, expected to top out at a height of 2 ft. It started to appear in nurseries a couple of years ago and is being touted as remaining upright, in contrast to the flop-prone 'Blue Boy'. Like 'Blue Boy' it needs strong light to retain its purple color.

LEFT: Yucca 'Bright Star'  RIGHT: Yucca 'Color Guard'

Yucca 'Bright Star' is variegated sport of Yucca gloriosa (or possibly Yucca gloriosa var. recurvifolia, now considered Yucca gloriosa var. tristis) discovered in a nursery in the UK in 2000. The species is found in the southeastern United States and is hardy to 0°F (zone 7). 'Bright Star' is much smaller than the species, growing to 2 ft. in height and 5 ft. in width vs. 6 ft. × 8 ft. for the species.

Yucca 'Color Guard' is a variegated form of Yucca filamentosa with green leaf margins and creamy centers. Another form, 'Bright Edge', has the reverse pattern: creamy margins and green centers.  Native to the southeastern US, the species has impressive cold tolerance, down to -20°F (zone 5). The variegated sports are considered dwarf forms, growing to 2-3 ft. in height and width vs. up to 8 ft. × 5 ft. for the species.

Note: Both 'Bright Star' and 'Color Guard' take on pink hues during the colder months. As you can see in the photo of 'Bright Star' above, the effect is nothing short of spectacular.

We have all four of these yuccas growing in our garden:

LEFT: Yucca 'Blue Boy'  RIGHT: Yucca 'Magenta Magic'

LEFT: Yucca 'Bright Star'  RIGHT: Yucca 'Color Guard'

Only 'Bright Star' is in a really good spot, and it shows. 'Color Guard' is being invaded (and shaded) by the slowly expanding clump Oldham's bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii); it's putting up a valiant fight but hasn't flowered in years.

The other two are in too much shade. 'Blue Boy' is still in a small plastic pot and needs to be planted out. 'Magenta Magic' is a plain green because it's tucked away behind a Grevillea 'King's Celebration'; I will move it in the spring to a sunnier location. For comparison, this is what our 'Magenta Magic' looked like when I bought it at Annie's Annuals this past April.

Given a sunny spot, though, all four of these yuccas will shine.


© Gerhard Bock, 2021. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.

Comments

  1. I find it useful to put plants next to each other and point out similarities and differences. My 'color guard' moved around for a while before ending on the parking strip, where it seems happy enough and developed a pup... if only the spectacular pink hue was permanent. I hope you find a suitable sunny spots for your Yucca so they can really shine.

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    1. Agreed about seeing similar plants side by side. I was very happy to see that Green Acres had done just that.

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  2. Nice focus on these four great, and often confused, plants. 'Bright Star' has proven to be nearly impossible to keep happy in my garden, and others I know around the PNW. 'Color Guard' however is bulletproof and I love it. I've not seen 'Magenta Magic' on offer here, and the only 'Blue Boy' I've been able to keep happy is in a container and gets moved to the sp greenhouse over the winter where it stays dry.

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    1. Very interesting about 'Bright Star' vs. 'Color Guard'. I always thought they're essentially the same plant, just with reverse variegation. But maybe they're genetically different?

      'Magenta Magic' seems to be a new introduction. You should see it in Portland soon.

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  3. Rostrata should be planted more. It's beautiful, no care, tough, beautiful....

    'Color Guard' here is not as good as 'Bright Star'. Perhaps it wants more heat than the near-coastal conditions here.

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    1. In my eyes, 'Bright Star' is the most beautiful of these four. Hands down.

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  4. Useful comparisons, Gerhard! You're right that Yuccas are too seldom available. Many, particularly 'Bright Star' and Y. rostrata, also tend to be very expensive when they're available at all. As the 'Bright Star' I cut to the ground has yet to show any sign of regenerating from its base, I've been pricing them and, thus far, I'm still backing away in the hope that mine will return one day.

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    1. 'Bright Star' is tissue-cultured so it should be widely available. It's so beautiful, it should appeal to a lot of people--if only nurseries stocked it.

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    2. I bought a small 'Bright Star' in a pot. Once the high heat hit (I had in in mostly shade in the summer) it died. I may try again, but I am hoping Yucca 'Margaritaville' will take its place. 'Margaritaville' looked quite like your 'Color Guard' photo when it was in my garden back about 5 years ago and it was fine in full sun!

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