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Muskogee, OK
    
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All the Dirt on Gardening

Our little garden is popping with colorful flowers. The vegetable garden is in fall mode with cucumber and tomato production slowed to a crawl. Are you planting bulbs this season? Gathering seeds? Planting a fall veggie bed? Leave a note and share your garden with us.

Monday, January 8, 2007

Red Yucca

I saw red yucca plants at Blossom's Nursery in Muskogee last year but have not seen any in bloom yet.

There are photos of a mass planting at this link and they are beautiful!

http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Hesperaloe_parviflora.html

Red yucca's horticultural name is Hesperaloe parviflora. A garden writer wrote about it surviving at least -25F without benefit of snow cover in a friend's Minnesota garden.


Like the familiar evergreen yuccas in our yards, the red variety grows to 2-3ft high, with a spread up to 4ft. The flower stalks are 4 feet or taller.

The only attention my yucca requires is grooming twice a year. In particular after blooming, the faded flower stalks can look unattractive. In the winter, I remove the dead leaves at the base and usually find several baby plants under there.

As for summer attention, yucca requires nothing on your part, not even water.

The leaves are prickly, so plant yucca where children and pets do not play. When you need to groom the plants wear long sleeves and gloves.

Take a look at the link and see if you have a place for them in your landscape.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Enjoy reading your blog. Each subject is interesting. Is there a gardening club that meets in the evenings or weekends for those of us that work from 9 to 5?
Or a way to get "hands-on" information?

January 9, 2007 1:36 PM  
Blogger Molly Day said...

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoy my random thoughts about gardening.

Muskogee's and Tulsa's garden clubs meet during the day. Tahlequah's club meets in the evening.

Hands on information beyond your own garden? Last spring I worked Sundays at a nursery to absorb knowledge from the owners and it was helpful. I hope to do it again next spring.

Also, Connors State College in Warner has horticulture classes in the evening. The department chair is very knowledgeable and fun to be around.

January 9, 2007 5:55 PM  

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