Yucca, Sapphire Skies Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies' Height: 11 feet Spread: 4 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 5b Description: A succulent cactus-like shrub with beautiful blue-green spear-like leaves radiating from the center and tall spikes of nodding white flowers in summer; once established, this variety is trunk forming; good for dry sites, use as a focal accent Ornamental Features Yucca, Sapphire Skies features bold spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer. Its attractive sword-like leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the year. Landscape Attributes Yucca, Sapphire Skies is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration; Yucca, Sapphire Skies is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Yucca, Sapphire Skies will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round. This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species. Yucca, Sapphire Skies is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Special Attributes Deer will eat the blooms but leave the foliage
