Furcraea Longaeva Succulent (like Agave Yucca)
Furcraea Longaeva Succulent (like Agave Yucca)
Furcraea longaeva or Giant furcraea has pale blue-green sword-shaped leaves which grow upwards, like a yucca. The plant reaches maturity after 9 years and bears enormous green-yellow flowers that grow in clusters on a 3m tall stalk.
Each individual flower on the spike develops into a tiny baby plant, which drops off the stem to root into the soil, while the parent plant eventually dies. Always best to plant in a small group or have a reserve Furcraea longaeva to fill its space!
Furcraea longaeva prefer full sun in well-drained soil. Frost tender when young, you will need to protect it in winter, while transplanting some of the baby plants into pots to overwinter indoors will insure against losses outside.
Height x spread : 3m x 2m with tall flower spike
A rare yucca-like plant with pale bluish-green upright sword-like leaves. White flower spikes are produced on mature plants in summer and can reach 10-12 feet in height. Prefers full sun in a well drained location and protection from frost
Except when in flower this plant appears very similar in appearance to Beschorneria yuccoides. It is however not as hardy and has one extraordinary characteristic.
We know that the effort of producing this massive flower will mean that the plant will then die. However there will be offsets left at the base of the dead plant and the profusion of seeds will germinate readily in the sort of warm and relatively frost free environment which we have in our show tunnel.
If you grow this plant in the greenhouse treat it like a cactus or succulent and apply a nitrogen fertiliser once a month. Dry the plant off in winter to avoid rotting.