What is this plant and is it worth keeping?

Well it dont look like Filamentosa to me LoL.
As far as I know filamentosa is almost stemless, and clump forming.
Filamentosa does not have spines, I agree.
Cant find a good pic on the web.

Need more input, anyone?

 

Pete - I mean the thicker trunk part doesn't go deep into the ground like a normal tree - look at the right side of that third pic and you'll see the trunk stops 2-3" above ground and there are loads of little spaghetti-like roots growing out the bottom, going in to the soil - similar to how I've seen palm trees grow.

LoL - yes, that does look very similar to my one.

 

Thats how they grow crispz, as the stem increases in girth at the base an old plant will make short aerial roots, as you say very similar to a palm.

http://www.nccpg.com/page.aspx?page=180

 

Pete, what are these three specimens that I have photographed on three of my Country Life trips since September?

'Crispz ... this gives you an idea of the size when grown in natural surroundings ...

Alte, one blooming ...



Porca Preta, Monchique ...



Praia Grande, Ferragudo ...

 

The first is definitely elephantipes, the other two look a bit different, maybe sharp.
A guess would be Aloifolia.
Its a particually nasty spiney one and down- right dangerous.
I've got a pic of mine somewhere but I'm going now, so see you all tomorrow, night.

 

Pete, I've just been looking in my houseplant book which I have to for here and I think I will have to agree on the elephantipes as my book says ...

"A mature Yucca bears a crown of sword-like leaves on top of a stout trunk .... choose the Spineless Yucca (Y elephantipes) rather than the more-popular but sharp pointed Spanish Bayonet (Y aliofolia)."

So, maybe we have resolved this in our usual roundabout way ... I forget shrubs and trees here are houseplants there.

Night, have a good day at work tomorrrow.

PS They all look the same to me except that the Porca Preta one has a strange trunk ... (ignoring the Aloes and Canary Palms underneath the two lower pictures). I'll just have to go "have a feel" ... carefully ... next time I'm at these places.

[ 06. January 2008, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: Lady of Leisure ]

 

Crikey, no wonder this one got cut back . :^)

I did a Google image search for 'yucca elephantipes' and when its shown in small pots it seemed to be the one most like mine, (eg this one: http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/ycane.htm ).

 

Hi Crispz - welcome to GC! Yes it does look like a yukka. The fact that it has been covered up by another plant may have been the reason for it's survival. I too have several of these but growing in our garden in Spain, but as LoL said the care of them in warmer climes is different to caring for them in the UK I am sure.

I had to take them out of a small border we have as they were growing outwards and not upwards. (Covered by honeysuckle and striving for light!) We have potted them up and they look a treat, we are overhauling the garden and so we have them in pots whilst we decide what to do with them.

 

Susannah - I'm beginning to think taking it out and potting it might be a better option for me while I decide what to do with the rest of the garden. I'm not totally sure on the garden theme, but it wasn't going to be tropical.

 

LoL, in your Porca preta pic the dark green leaves apparently coming from the base of the yucca seem to be slightly different to the yucca.
Am I right or are they the same plant, ignoring the greyish aloes of course.
I dont think I would want aloifolia that close to a path.

 

Hmmm, pete, other than the sunlight coming through the top leaves making it deceiving looking, perhaps there are the two varieties there? By the way, Porca Preta means black pig, the name of the hamlet, six buildings ... the meat is more costly but I've not tried it as I'm not a "pork" person.

Perhaps if it's nice next Sunday we'll pop up that way so I can investigate ... but more importantly so I can "appropriate" more of the Salvia guarantica which is also there, along with some Cestrum hybrid ...

Actually, those Aloes look like the red ones I've been photographing in Country Life ... can't remember what I told you they were called without going back and have to have dinner shortly.

 

They look BIG, those aloes, too big for me to flower I think.
I was hoping that red one was a bit smaller.

 

Just before I dash off for an hour ... they are HUGE ... so you can imagine with the flower stalk! Guesstimate of 5-6 feet? :eek:

 

Crispz - let us know what you decide to do with your 'yukkas' - post us a piccie of your plot when you have got it sorted - at some stage I will try and post some photos of of my yukkas but that seems a bit too technical for me to do at the moment

 

At the minute I'm keeping the yucca where it is while I research if it will fit in with a modern looking, young and trendy (yeah, right!) urban garden.

I dug out a huge half dead fir tree at the weekend, took me about 2 hours or so, but managed to dig out even more deep growing bind weed roots in the process, so quite satisfying.

So the yucca and an old climbing rose is all that's left, sitting in a barren looking load of turned soil. Time to get planning.