BESCHORNERIA

Native to Mexico, these striking plants combine handsome, lance-shaped dark green leaves with showy, tubular summer flowers. They are related to yuccas and agaves, but they have spineless leaves and need a bit more water and shade than their cousins. They prefer fertile, well-drained soil, though they will tolerate short periods of drought. Excellent as specimen plants, in lightly shaded borders, or in containers.

• ' Zones LS, CS, TS; USDA 8-11.
• This excellent hybrid between Beschorneria septentrionalis and Beschorneria yuccoides dekosteriana forms a rosette 34 feet tall and 23 feet wide; leaves are rough-textured.
• At maturity, a bright red, 7 feet-tall flower stalk is topped by bell-shaped red-and-green blossoms.

• Zones MS, LS, CS, TS; USDA 7-11.
• To 3 feet tall and wide.
• Lush, pendulous green leaves to about 2 feet long; fuchsia red flowers atop a glossy red spike.
• Needs light shade in the Coastal and Tropical South.
• Tolerates considerable moisture if soil is well drained.

• Zones CS, TS; USDA 9-11.
• The most widely available species.
• Clump slowly grows 34 feet tall and wide; narrow gray-green leaves can reach 2 feet long and wide.
• Flowers in early summer, when a thick, branching, coral-pink, 3- to 7 feet stalk is hung with pendulous yellowish green blooms with red bracts.
• Thrives in well-drained garden soil or large container; suffers in cold, wet earth.
• Beschorneria y.
• dekosteriana (Zones LS, CS, TS; USDA 8-11) grows 4 feet tall and wide, with waxy blue-green leaves and a tall red flower stalk bearing green-and-red blossoms.