Yucca elephantipes

Yucca elephantipes, commonly known as Elephant's Foot Yucca or Giant Yucca, is an arborescent plant that is often grown in pots to protect it from the cold in winter. It is appreciated for its exotic appearance and characteristic desert plant silhouette, with a false trunk widened at the base and crowned with tufts of stiff leaves. An older specimen will bloom in the form of upright panicles adorned with numerous bell-shaped white-green flowers. When planted in the ground, Elephant Foot's Yucca requires a sunny exposure, tolerates any well-drained soil, and is highly resistant to drought.

Originally from Mexico and Guatemala, and not very hardy, Yucca elephantipes is most often grown as an indoor plant. It belongs to the agave family. When young, this yucca forms a shaggy clump. It then develops a massive false trunk, widened at its lower part, of a greyish colour, which eventually separates into several branches. In its natural habitat, the plant slowly reaches a height of 7.5 m (25 ft) and a width of 3.75 m (12 ft). In our temperate climates, its dimensions will often be more modest, and it will not exceed 2.5 m (8 ft) in height and 1.25 m (4 ft) in width if grown in a container. The foliage, which grows at the end of the "trunk" and each of its branches, persists throughout the year. It is composed of multiple rough and rigid, linear, lanceolate leaves, measuring 60 to 80 cm (24 to 32 in) in length, with small harmless spines along the edge. They are a fairly dark green colour. If not cut, the dried leaf bases, which are remnants of the old leaves, remain attached to the trunk and branches for several years. Flowering occurs in summer after several years of growth, signalling the death of the clump of leaves that gave birth to it. It will be replaced by another one. Plants grown in pots rarely flower. The slightly fragrant flowers, which are white to greenish in colour, have an inverted bell shape and are gathered in large leafy, branched, and upright panicles. The petals are edible, as are the young shoots which can be consumed as vegetables.

Yucca elephantipes is an architecturally striking plant that can be grown in a large pot. It can be moved from the terrace to the conservatory in winter, and can perfectly decorate a very bright room that is not too heated in winter. In regions spared from frost, it is ideal for structuring a large rockery or for brilliantly occupying the centre of an exotic bed. It can be planted alone or associated with Puya plants, Agave americana Variegata, or even prickly pears. Also consider dry soil palm trees to create exotic scenes in arid soil.