Beschorneria yuccoides Flamingo Glow

Beschorneria yuccoides Flamingo Glow is a very beautiful form of Beschorneria with strongly variegated yellow foliage. This rhizomatous perennial forms a large fountain of narrow and very bright evergreen leaves. From the heart of the plant emerges in summer a spectacular inflorescence, reddish-pink in colour, which appears to bend to one side under the weight of the flowers wrapped in decorative pink and mauve bracts. Despite its desert-like appearance, it is an authentic plant for the edge of woods and clearings, perfectly adaptable to our temperate climates that are not too cold. It will thrive as much in the sun on the terrace as in a rock garden or in a dry, open woodland, among the roots of old trees.

Native to Mexico, extremely decorative, Beschorneria yuccoides is a botanical species of the Agave family, related to Yuccas, to which it bears a resemblance, or to the Tuberose. In nature, it is often found growing in sparsely wooded areas of oaks. This herbaceous succulent perennial has rhizomes capable of producing suckers, but it is almost devoid of above-ground stems.

The cultivar Flamingo Glow was discovered in 2005 in a New Zealand garden. It forms one, then several basal rosettes, 60cm (24in) to 80cm (32in) tall and 80cm (32in) wide. The slightly curved leaves, non-prickly, persist throughout the year. They are smooth, flexible, green-blue in colour, marked with a wide yellow band in the centre. The flowering, spectacular, takes place from May-June to August depending on the year. The fleshy flower spike, pink to light red in colour, can reach 1.50m (5ft) to 2m (7ft) in height. Invariably arched towards the ground and facing south, it bears numerous tubular and trailing flowers that are both unusual and beautiful; the corolla is a very bright green surrounded by beautiful bracts in shades of pink and mauve, highly decorative. This highly honey-producing and nectar-producing flowering attracts many pollinating insects. The plant is hardy down to -8/-10°C in perfectly drained soil during winter. Unlike many other plants in the Agave family, the rosettes of Beschorneria yuccoides do not die after flowering.

In mild climates, this Flamingo Glow Beschorneria, like Phormiums, is ideal for structuring a large rock garden, an exotic border, or for skillfully occupying the edge of a woodland, among the roots of old trees. It can be planted alone or combined on a dry slope with Agave americana, prickly pear, giant fennel, and fairly hardy columnar cacti (Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata), as well as undemanding viper's bugloss from the Canary Islands. On the edge of a woodland, it can be accompanied, for example, by Phlomis samia, Acanthus mollis, Dicliptera suberecta, and Digitalis lanata. Gardeners in colder regions can grow it in a very large pot on the terrace, next to a banana tree or a canna, for example, carefully choosing the most sheltered spot and in full sun, to recreate a setting inspired by gardens that bloom on the other side of the world. This plant can become invasive where it thrives.