About Yucca filifera Chabaud
Yucca filifera Chabaud is a tall, heavily branched yucca species. It has straight, sword-shaped (ensiform) leaves that grow in rosette-shaped clusters at the end of each stem. Its hanging inflorescence is composed of many individual white flowers; in spring, these flower clusters can grow long, with some reaching well over one meter in length. Yucca filifera can be cultivated in xerophytic (dry, drought-adapted) growing conditions. Indigenous peoples use this plant as a material for roof covering, and harvest its fiber to make handcrafts. They refer to the species as palma china or izote. A very large specimen of Yucca filifera grows in front of the Anderson Collection at the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University. This individual was transplanted to its current location in the 1880s from the nearby Arizona Garden.
