Yucca Thompsoniana Flowering in Minnesota 4b/5a

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:00 pm

Yippeeee....another weather sticker!

Great fruit pics.
Excellent that it worked.

Steep terrain, Jim.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:17 pm

Great Job! If you like Yuccas, let me know and I can send you a box of the hardy types. Your zone 4b/5a......I'm not exactly sure what will live in your area but the glauca types will be hardy. Does standard filamentosa do OK in your area? My Yucca arkansana 'Moud City, Missouri' is starting to sucker. This 'should' be hardy in your area since it appears to have lots of glauca genes in it. What Yuccas grow in your area??

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:15 am

Tim- Thanks again for the pollen! Y. filamentosa does well in my area for sure. Several larger local garden centers stock them here in the spring. Also I sometimes see others available like red yucca (not really a yucca but cool) and small y. rostratas (Monrovia brand). I don't currently grow rostrata but have had success with Hesperaloe parviflora and a few different forms of filamentosa in addition to my protected thompsoniana.

Last summer's filamentosa bloom (my first to ever bloom here)
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C00655.jpg>
The same yucca this spring after an unprotected winter (is gets southern exposure)
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0149.jpg>
Same filamentosa about a week ago:
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0240.jpg>
Thompsoniana in March 2010:
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C00569.jpg>
Thompsoniana almost 17 months later: (note the length of the new growth)
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0247.jpg>
Red yucca flowering
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C00718.jpg>

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:16 am

Woops! That last picture was the wrong one. Sorry.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:13 am

nice filamentosa bloom. Where did you purchase the Y. thompsoniana.....a liquor store?.........I'd love to pick up a Yucca and a case a beer in the same trip!

Please post more updates on the seed pods.

Here's a couple photos of the Yucca arkansana....it's the narrow leaf Yucca with the racemose bloom (no branches) on the left side of photo.

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... AM0386.jpg>

Here's another specimen on the other side of the house. The blooms are different which I like.

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... AM0353.jpg>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:57 am

Tim,
absolutely lovely!
I could easily give up trying to grow yuccas and be happy just looking at your photos.

Very nice blooms on the y.arkansana...remind me of those Italian pasta thingies.

Your araucaria has put on some good growth this season.
Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:10 am

Great pic of that yucca in a shopping cart

My yucca filamentosa are finally blooming (a week later than in 2010).
Third pic: winter damage still evident.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5966957585/" title="DSC04848 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/596 ... 2e786c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04848"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5966957609/" title="DSC04850 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/596 ... b9f2ae.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04850"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5966957599/" title="DSC04849 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/596 ... 0bfb13.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04849"></a>

The next pic shows the Red Flag Cordyline that I'm trying this year.
Definitely not treating these as annuals!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5966957629/" title="DSC04851 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/596 ... 002c35.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04851"></a>

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:19 am

Tim- Your yuccas are magnificent! I have spent plenty of time looking through your "yuccas are blooming" thread drooling over the diversity and sizes. Do you grow any palms too? I could swear those are palm leaves in the foreground of the first picture you posted...

I bought the thompsoniana from Victor Lin in Las Vegas. He had/has a site called coldcacti.com but it appears to be down right now. At one point he had several different trunking species at very reasonable prices. I should have bought more back then! He even had joshua trees for sale, though I would never try one here.

Whenever I have live plants being shipped to me I always have them shipped to work so I can open them immediately, rather than having them sit on the front steps at home all day. I used to own that large liquor store but we sold it this past spring. Owning two completely different businesses was getting to be a bit much to juggle. I figured we could do better if I could focus all my time and energy on the more solid and profitable of the two businesses. I do miss the free beer though! It's nice to be working 20-30 hours per week now rather than 50-60+ hours though.

I'm toying with the idea of developing a larger yucca bed in the area my pictured filamentosa is. I could clear that out pretty well and it has good southern exposure and is pretty well protected from the north and west winter weather. Problem is, we can't seem to decide what we are going to do with the house. We have wanted to upgrade, and now is the perfect time from a financial standpoint, but then we take the hit on what we are selling and have to move all the plants. Plus I don't think real estate is near the bottom point yet. Then what? More than likely we will be moving to Florida within 7 or 8 years (a little south of Naples) to live about 6 months out of the year. We would keep the lake cabin up north and sell the house in Burnsville and be snowbirds. The palms and yuccas would surely come with to Florida though. I know z10b (just south of the "never, ever freezes line") might be a little uncomfortable for some of the plants but I'd move them anyway. Zone 3 northern Minnesota would not be an option for the plants so Florida it would be.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:25 am

Those look awesome Barb! My filamentosas don't seem to want to flower this year. Maybe it was the wierd spring? Winter was not that severe here from a temp standpoint, though we had tons of snow. It was near-record snowfall. Somewhere in the top 10 of all time.

You should try to get seed from those yuccas. You are welcome to some of the thompsoniana pollen I collected, that is if they allow it to be mailed up there with customs and all.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:43 am

Thanks!

Maybe it was the wierd spring?

Agree with you; winter wasn't particularly cold but it was long. April was cold and miserable, and we've just had 2+ weeks of cool cloudy stormy weather.
I recall seeing pics of the huge snowfalls in many US cities late winter.

Thanks for the generous offer of pollen.
With daughter getting married here in 49 days (shudder....stress.....

), I'll have to pass for this year.
Too busy, am ignoring most of my plants this year, and they're showing it unfortunately.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:23 am

Hi Barb,

nice to see your filamentosas blooming. I like the great landscape in the background too! I can't send Yuccas to you but I can send seed. If you want any seed, let me know. I made a hybrid between Yucca gloriosa and arkansana. This should be a weird one since one is trunk forming and the other isn't and one has a racemose bloom (no branches) while the other is paniculate type (branches). Loads of other seeds too.

Hi Kory,

Yucca brevifolia is very hardy. I wonder if it could survive your winters if kept bone dry and planted in a microclimate.

Yes I have a seed grown Trachycarpus takil from Rare Palm Seeds (2001 seed). Now it's called 'Nani tal'. I construct a mini greenhouse over it during winter and heat it with xmas lights. It's been working so far but the palm is getting some size now so protection will be more work.

I hope coldcacti.com will reopen....getting specimen Yuccas is difficult.

Sending a box-o-yucca to your work is no problem. Some of the stuff I grow just isn't hardy in your area (ie. Yucca gloriosa/recurvifolia).

A new Yucca bed sounds great. I got into trunking Yuccas since palms don't work here.....Yuccas need no protection.....love it.

My Trachy is in the background:
<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... uly617.jpg>

Trunk:
<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... ly1681.jpg>

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:47 am

Those flower towers are awesome.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:09 pm

that Yucca flower is what I call Yucca recurvifolia 'Tennessee' form. Rob from Tennessee sent me a sucker back in 2003 as a recurvifolia. This Yucca has the largest blooms in my garden. The bloom is like 5 to 6 feet tall (bottom of white flower to top of white flower). It's massive. I think it's closer related to Y. flaccida than recurvifolia.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:47 am

Beautiful flowers....

Now how did that palm picture get in there?

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Sep 02, 2011 12:59 pm

Kory,

how are those Yucca thompsoniana seed pods coming along?

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:44 am

Tim-

I responded to your PM also. Sorry for the delay... I will post updated pictures here asap for all to see.

Seed pods are still green (as is the flower spike). They don't seem to be growing any larger though, at least not for what seems like a couple months now. They are 1.5 to 2" long and range from the diameter of a nickel to slightly wider. Out of about 6 of them that originally took, a few didn't fully develop and fell off early. I thought they were supposed to get about as big as an average grocery store egg though?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:55 am

Kory

I think you would enjoy doing a Cactus bed.

They are waaaay easier than palms IMO

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:13 pm

Kory,

Got your PM........please post some updated photos!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:17 pm

Ok, here are some pictures. Sorry for the delay in posting! I needed to download them out of my cell phone. All the pictures except the first one (taken 8/28 ) were taken in mid September just before we closed and covered the pool.

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0285.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0293.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0290.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0296.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0300.jpg>
Had to throw in some bananas too...
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0302.jpg>

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:29 pm

Jim-

I might just try a cactus bed, just not here in MN as I don't have any more suitable full-sun spots. Certain cactus, agave, yucca, etc do well in Florida 10b's sandy soil in spite of all the rain. I'm thinking that will be one of my landscaping projects down there when we finally get a property we can actually close on. It seems that these short sales can be difficult to get done though. We are now trying on our 4th property. I think this one might work out though. It has some decent base landscaping. Two 20' coconut palms in the front yard along with a nice 30+' robusta, several 10' Christmas palms in triples, and a big travelers palm. In back by the dock near the water there is a 25' royal, and a grapefruit tree on the side of the house. Plenty of room to add more stuff!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:22 am

Cool

Just think of all the fun stuff you'll be able to grow!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:38 am

mnpalms wrote:Jim-

I might just try a cactus bed, just not here in MN as I don't have any more suitable full-sun spots. Certain cactus, agave, yucca, etc do well in Florida 10b's sandy soil in spite of all the rain. I'm thinking that will be one of my landscaping projects down there when we finally get a property we can actually close on. It seems that these short sales can be difficult to get done though. We are now trying on our 4th property. I think this one might work out though. It has some decent base landscaping. Two 20' coconut palms in the front yard along with a nice 30+' robusta, several 10' Christmas palms in triples, and a big travelers palm. In back by the dock near the water there is a 25' royal, and a grapefruit tree on the side of the house. Plenty of room to add more stuff!

Good for you, I hope it all goes well.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:57 am

Well it appears the seed pods may be ready soon. The little branches of the flower stalk that hold the seed pods have dried out and it seems that the pods themselves are now drying out. The main flower stalk is still green though.

Should I wait to for the pods/fruits to fall off and/or completely dry out and harden? Or should they be picked now? I expected them to get bigger than they are, but they are still about the size they were in my recent posts above with the pictures. This is all new territory for me as I have never had a yucca produce fruit. Suggestions and advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks guys.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:04 pm

UPDATE: I got three fruits to fully mature. I just opened up one of them today and 90% of the seeds within were black (not white/yellowish). I understand that only the black seeds are viable. Two fruits remain on the plant and I will harvest them soon. If the other two are anything like the first one, I will have 100+ black seeds. I plan to grow some of them but I will have PLENTY of extras available for anyone on Palms North who wants them (no cost).

TimMAz6 has first dibs on how many he wants due to his generousity in supplying the pollen though.

Anyone here who will grow and appreciate them is welcome to seeds as well. Just let me know and I can mail them out!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 1:52 pm

I plan to use this guy's method to grow some of the seeds: http://www.bennyskaktus.dk/Y_grow_UK.htm#seeds That is unless anyone here has any better suggestions... I'm pretty new to yucca cultivation myself.

I did get a good 100+ seeds from the 3 ripe pods. I will never use them all so don't hesitate to ler me know if anyone here wants some! And to those who sent me messages- I'll be mailing out seeds this week.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:31 pm

Great job with the hybrid. The pollen was from my Yucca filamentosa x elata 'big mama'. So you created Y. thompsoniana x 'filamentosa x elata big mama'. A GREAT hybrid since all the genes are relatively hardy.

I grow Yucca seeds by filling up containers full of a well draining mix (not too much organic material). Place seed on top of soil. Cover seed with sand (sand depth like 1/8" deep) just enough to cover seeds so you don't see them. They will sprout in 2 to 3 weeks typically. The east coast species tend to take a week or two longer. They love and need lots of sun. They don't like being in containers too long and will slow down if growth dramatically. Get them in the ground asap and protect them against critters. Yuccas grow very fast in the ground when in full sun and have plenty of water (not soaking wet).

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:49 am

Tim-

Thanks for verifying the cross. This is going to be a cool yucca! Too bad yuccas take so damn long to get big though...

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:12 pm

UPDATE- New addition just arrived today (Monday 11/7/11). The source of the original yucca in this thread actually has some more so I had to get another! I bought the original directly from his site but it seems he is selling on Ebay now. This one is a bit smaller than the original was when I got it, but I think it was still a great deal. I might get a couple more... $79.95. It is a little under 4 feet tall overall and the trunk measures 2 feet. It will go in the ground next spring.

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C04172.jpg>

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C04173.jpg>

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C04174.jpg>

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C04175.jpg>

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:46 pm

Nice

Mike and I were talking about/checking those out the other day.

Nice cluster **** of root nubs at the bottom too!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:55 pm

Bad time of the year to buy another one, but I though it might be now or never since these seem to be pretty scarce. I hope you get one Jim, it would look awesome in your cactus bed!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:28 pm

OMG, that's a fabulous buy!
and at that price too!

I paid $200+ a couple of yrs ago for one with NO trunk.
And promptly killed it the first winter outdoors.

Looks like roots are packed in a hardened clay...good idea for shipping.

The pool patio will look soooooooo tropical...

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:53 am

I seen that on ebay and thought that was a good price. If I had the money I would by some j-trees from them also.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:02 pm

mnpalms wrote:Bad time of the year to buy another one, but I though it might be now or never since these seem to be pretty scarce. I hope you get one Jim, it would look awesome in your cactus bed!

I would love too,if I can find the money/justification....

I have no room in my cactus bed,this would need to be planted elsewhere and
with it needing very little protection...this would be the only way I could swing it!

Okanagan desert-palms · Post by **Okanagan desert-palms** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:54 pm

Nice find. I wish we could get them shipped up here. I would buy several.

John

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:08 am

I think this is a good time to buy one,it has all winter to root
which will make it all the stronger next year!

BTW

The Yucca seeds you sent me are sprouting already!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:53 am

Jim- That's awesome! Sprouting already! I figured I'd hold off on starting mine until I'm back from another upcoming trip. I have only a few days between trips here so I figured I'd wait until things settle down again. Back from our annual MN deer hunting trip, then I have some business to take care of in Florida. It's looking like the time to cover my trachies will be the weekend of 11/19-20. It's either today or tomorrow, or I wait until then. Long-range forecast looks just fine so I'll wait.

Did you guys just get some snow down there? We were supposed to see our first slushy inch or two but they said it decided to track south into Iowa at the last minute. Still no hard freeze here. Tomato plants are finally toast but some of the pepper plants are still green as can be. Cannas wilted out the other day. Time to cut them down and mulch and cover with a rose cone.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:01 am

I sprout all my seeds in a baggie of slightly moist perlite or sphagnum moss or both.

This way they are on cruise control and it doesn't matter what I am doing

No snow here,I did see some flurries and I think western Iowa got some snow.

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 4:44 pm

Jim- I germinate my seeds the same way (sphagnum). I put them up in the ceiling at my office on top of a flourescent light fixture. I put a piece of cardboard down and place the ziplocks on it. Maintains a constant mid 90s temp up there 24/7. Works like a charm! My Xmas palm seeds from Cape Coral, FL germinated within a week that way this past spring. They are over a foot and a half tall now... And the ones from PV, MX from last year are starting to actually look like trees now.

Please do keep me/Palms North posted on your seedlings progress. I'll soon germinate my own and keep everyone here posted as well. I hope the others I sent seeds to will do the same.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:03 pm

These seeds are really going now-going to need to pot up soon.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:08 am

MIne have started to sprout as well. With luck I'll have a few to plant out this spring!

PalmsNorth.com

Yucca Thompsoniana Flowering in Minnesota 4b/5a

UPDATE 10/18/11

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