January 28, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
77 
Yucca filamentosa and Varieties. 
(See Supplement.) 
The ordinary or typical form of this plant is the most 
common in cultivation, and is valuable from the fact that it 
flowers very frequently, and takes up but a small amount of 
space. It never develops a stem, so that the leaves are always 
close to the ground. For these reasons it is often planted with 
excellent effect on prominent parts of the rockery, where the 
leaves do not interfere with other small subjects in the neigh¬ 
bourhood, and the flower-stem, usually about 3 ft. high, is only 
of a season’s duration. Under veiy favourable conditions, how¬ 
ever, it has been known to produce stems from 4 ft. to 8 ft. in 
height. 
From the fact that it does not elongate or develop a stem 
like Y. gloriosa and others of that class, it is sometimes spoken 
of as the herbaceous Yucca. In other cases it is termed Silk 
Grass, in reference to the silk-like thready fibres produced at 
the edges of the leaves, which was also the reason for suggest¬ 
ing the specific name. The leaves in the type are sword¬ 
shaped, and 18 in. to 2 ft. in length, leathery, and rather glau¬ 
cous. This form was introduced from North America in 1673, 
and though the most common, is not regarded as the most 
ornamental by some cultivators. 
Our supplementary illustration shews a plantation of Y. f. 
flaccida, often regarded as a distinct species, but as the plant 
is variable and lias given several intermediates, while the 
flowers all agree in structure, it is convenient to regard them 
all as varieties of one species. Our photograph was taken in 
the nursery of Messrs. William Paul and Son, Cheshunt, on 
July 26th last year, when the plantation was in full bloom. 
In the case of most other species, the cultivator is satisfied 
if his plants flower now and again, but this plantation of dwarf 
and (some of them) quite small plants shows that it flowers 
regularly and abundantly. 
The flowers are white, drooping on their stalks, and in out¬ 
ward appearance much resemble some species of Lily. The 
plant does, indeed, belong to the Lily family, but does not 
produce bulbs, the root-stock being woody or even fleshy, and 
often giving off underground tuber-like branches by which the 
plants'may be propagated. The flowers in this case do not 
differ from those of the type, and in this country, at least, we 
presume that the flower-stems in most cases are relatively 
dwarf. The great distinction between this variety and the 
type is that the leaves are narrow, more slender or weaker, and 
often much recurved. The central ones do, indeed, stand up¬ 
right, while the outer ones rather recurve. The thready fibres 
on the margin of the leaves are also rather more pronounced 
than usual. 
The great value of this species and its varieties lies in the 
fact that they are perfectly hardy, in the southern counties of 
England, at least, and in other parts of the British Isles where 
the climate is equally favourable, including Ireland, the west 
coast of Scotland, and all the smaller islands within the soften¬ 
ing influence of deep water upon our rather inclement and un¬ 
certain climate. This variety was introduced in 1816, but has 
been greatly neglected in private establishments considering 
its beauty and utility for various situations in the garden, but 
more particularly in the rock garden. 
Another beautiful variety of more recent introduction in 
this country is Y. f. aureo-variegata, which has its leaves beau¬ 
tifully variegated with longitudinal bands of bright yellow 
fading more or less with age. This form was introduced in 
1884. The variegation, to be in its best form, must have the 
special protection of a bell-glass, or, what is better, be 
grown in a greenhouse, otherwise the leaves are likely to be 
more or less injured by severe weather, thus spoiling the varie¬ 
gation. For this reason it is best grown,in a greenhouse or 
conservatory, and is well worthy of this protection. 
An older and much better-known variety is Y. f. variegata, 
which differs from the preceding one by having longitudinal 
bands of silvery-white instead of yellow. It is somewhat tender 
ioi the same reason ms the previous one, and requires similar 
protection to maintain the plant in its full beauty. It is 
worthy of being grown in pots in the greenhouse, because for 
many weeks after the leaves are developed the plant is veiy 
handsome, and can l>e utilised in a variety of ways for decora¬ 
tive purposes, provided the leaves are not roughly handled or 
exposed too long to the influence of a dry atmosphere, which 
would cause the variegation to become brown. 
The flowers of Y. f. maxima are 2 1 in. to 3 in. long, and the 
segments more pointed than in the type. It is sometimes 
named \ . f. grandiflora and Y. f. major, on account of the large 
size of the flowers. The variegated form just mentioned above 
is considered to belong to this form on account of the size of its 
flowers. Although introduced in 1873, it is by no means a 
common plant. 
Another distinct and beautiful variety is Y. f. orchioides, 
which has much more expanded flowers than the type. The 
segments of the flowers are ovate and 1 in. long. The inflores¬ 
cence forms a simple raceme, not branching as in Y. filamen¬ 
tosa, but the larger size of the blooms makes it an interesting 
and pretty plant. There are only ten or twelve leaves to a 
plant, varying from 5 in. to 10 in. in length, that are scarcely 
thready on the margins. It would, therefore, make a neat 
pot plant, especially for those who make collections of this 
genus. It was introduced in 1861, and is sometimes named 
simply Y. orchioides. 
A stronger-growing plant is that named Y. f. antwerpensis, 
with a panicle of flowers 12 in. to 18 in. in length, while the 
flower-stem would be at least 2 ft. to 3 ft. high. The plant 
varies with fifteen to twenty leaves 10 in. to 15 in. in length. 
This fine form was introduced in 1875, and being somewhat 
similar to the previous one, is sometimes named Y. orchioides 
major. 
Y. f. glauceseens is also a large-flowered variety with seg¬ 
ments about 1! { in. long. The flowering portion of the plant is 
more or less covered with a blue-grey down. The leaves are 
also of a distinctly sea-green hue. Another plant, but little 
known at the present day in gardens, is Y. f. concava, intro¬ 
duced in 1810, and characterised by having its leaves 3 in. to 
4 in. broad, and more or less incurved at the edges, making 
them concave. Another variety that has been recorded is Y. 
f. puberula, with rather narrow segments to the flower, and 
downy branches. The leaves of this form are rather weak and 
more recurved than in the type. 
i 
Spiraea Thunbergii. 
The large number of shrubby Spiraeas at our disposal, for 
planting in beds and shrubberies, shows a great diversity of 
habit and a great variation in the time of flowering, so that it 
is possible to select a shrubby Spiraea for a position where 
a shrub not more than 6 in. high is required, and also one for 
the back of a shrubbery where it will have to grow 6 ft, or 7 ft. 
high to be well seen above other things in front ; also we may 
have one to flower in February, and others to carry us on until 
late October. Of the lot, S. Thunbergii is the earliest to flower, 
and blooms may be found veiy early in February, or in 
January if the weather is mild, while by the end of February 
or beginning of March it is a sheet of white. When out of 
flower it is a handsome-looking bush, for the branches are 
long, twiggy, and somewhat pendulous, while they are clothed 
with small, dainty pale green leaves. Even in the dead of 
winter, after the leaves have fallen and before new ones ap¬ 
pear, the branches are not without interest, for they are dark 
brown in colour. The flowers are pure white, star shaped, and 
a quarter of an inch across, and are borne along the whole of 
the previous year’s wood. The young leaves appear very early, 
so that the flowers are often relieved by light green. When 
mature, it forms a bush three to four feet through, and about 
the same in height. It is a native of China and Japan, and 
makes a charming subject for a bed on the outskirts of a 
lawn. W. D. 
