Beschorneria yuccoides Quicksilver

Beschorneria yuccoides 'Quicksilver', with its beautiful silver-reflecting rosette foliage, is, despite its desert plant appearance, a magnificent and authentic perennial plant for borders and light woodland, perfectly adaptable to our moderately cold temperate climates. Its long evergreen narrow leaves, with a green-blue silver colour, resemble those of yuccas, but are more flexible and softer at their tips. From the heart of the foliage, a spectacular inflorescence emerges in summer, with salmon-pink to reddish flowers that seem to bend on one side under the weight of nectar-filled tubular flowers. This plant, quite common in old gardens in the south, deserves to be more widely planted in the ground in mild climates or in pots to be stored during winter in cold regions.

Native to Mexico, extremely decorative, Beschorneria yuccoides is a botanical species from the Agave family, related to Yuccas to which it resembles, or even to the Tuberose. Its drought resistance is very commendable. In nature, it is often found growing in sparse oak woods. This perennial succulent herb has rhizomes capable of producing suckers, but it is almost devoid of aerial stems. 'Quicksilver' is a pretty cultivar with more grey-silver foliage than the species. The plant forms a basal rosette, 60 to 80cm (24 to 32in) tall and 60cm (19in) wide. The leaves, pointed, are evergreen, lanceolate, non-prickly. They are smooth, flexible, green-blue in colour when mature, and show inflected tips towards the outside. The spectacular flowering takes place from May-June to August depending on the year. The fleshy flowering stem, from dull red to salmon-pink in colour, can reach a height of 1.50 to 2m (5 to 7ft). Invariably arched towards the ground and directed towards the south, it bears numerous unusual and beautiful trailing tubular flowers; the corolla is a very bright green surrounded by highly decorative red-pink bracts. This highly melliferous and nectariferous flowering attracts many pollinating insects. The plant is hardy down to -8/-10°C (17.6/14°F) in perfectly drained soil.

In mild climates, this 'Quicksilver' Beschorneria is ideal for structuring a large rockery, an exotic flowerbed, or for brilliantly occupying the edge of a woodland, between the roots of old trees. It can be planted on its own or associated on a dry slope with Agave americana, prickly pear, giant reed, fairly hardy candle cacti (Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata), and Yucca rigida, beautifully blue and equally undemanding. On the edge of woodland, it will accompany Phlomis samia, Acanthus mollis, Dicliptera suberecta, and Digitalis lanata. Gardeners in colder regions will plant it in a very large pot on the terrace, right next to a Rhodocoma gigantea and a small banana tree, carefully choosing the most sheltered spot, and in full sun, to recreate a decor inspired by walled gardens and patios that bloom on the other side of the world. This plant can become invasive where it thrives!