Missouri anil 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. I - §t. Louis, Mo., June, 1913 No. 6 
THE YUCCA AND THE YUCCA MOTH. 
From about the middle of June to the middle o July is 
the period of blossoming for most of the hardy Yuccas at 
the Missouri Botanical Garden. 
As the visitor enters the main gate he will see a number 
of these plants growing in clusters about the recently con- 
structed lily pond, between the main gate and the new green- 
house. Other isolated groups are to be found scattered 
throughout the grounds. The plants are natives of the 
southern Atlantic coast region of the United States and are 
cultivated extensively throughout this country and, to a less 
degree, also in the gardens of Europe; so they are not un- 
familiar objects to most flower lovers. Nevertheless they 
always command admiration during their comparatively 
short period of flowering. Being evergreens, the bunches 
of long, sword-like, narrow, green leaves, springing as it 
were directly from the ground, constantly lend a bit of life 
and color to a garden even during the winter months. Some 
of these plants have rather stiff, straight leaves, while others 
are more lax and recurve in graceful form. All have a 
sharp point, and this, with the shape of the leaf, has given 
the plant the common name of “Spanish Dagger.” Some 
have, in addition, numerous fine threads on the margins of 
the leaves and this form has been fancifully designated 
‘“‘Adam’s Needle and Thread.” 
It is during the flowering period, however, that the plant 
shows to its very best advantage. At this time, in addition 
to the foliage characters just mentioned, it sends up a tall 
stalk from the center of the cluster of leaves, the upper half 
of which is branched and spreading. Scattered along on 
the branches, quite close together, the flowers are borne in 
abundance, which when fully open are more or less bell- 
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