Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Color Guard Yucca: Year-Round Gold Swords for a Dry Lavender Bed
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Color Guard yucca is a bright, easygoing Adam's needle with stiff, sword-shaped leaves striped creamy yellow down the center and edged in green. Thin, curly white threads peel from the leaf edges, and in fall and winter the yellow centers blush rose-pink. In early to midsummer, tall stalks rise from the center, hung with dozens of nodding, creamy white bells.
It thrives on heat, drought and poor soil, the same tough conditions lavender loves, and it looks good all twelve months.
Color Guard at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' |
| Foliage | Creamy yellow center, green edges, rose tint in cold weather; evergreen |
| Flowers | Creamy white nodding bells, 2 to 3 inches long, lightly sweet in the evening |
| Size | Leaf clump 2 to 3 feet tall, 18 to 24 inches wide; flower stalks rise well above |
| Bloom | Starts late June, peaks mid-July |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 10 |
| Light | Full sun to part shade |
| Deer | Resistant; rabbits leave it alone too |
Bold swords beside soft mounds
Lavender is soft, rounded and silver. Color Guard is stiff, spiky and gold. Put one or two yuccas among a group of lavender and the contrast makes the whole planting look designed. In summer the white bells rise above the purple wands; in winter, when the lavender is a gray mound under snow, Color Guard's yellow-and-rose leaves are often the brightest thing in the garden.
Both want the same dry, lean, sunny bed, so there is no compromise needed. Place the yucca where its sharp leaf tips will not poke passersby, a little back from the path. Plan the accent spots in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Soil: well-drained, even poor or sandy. Heavy, wet soil is the only real enemy.
- Water: to establish, then almost never. It is extremely drought tolerant.
- After bloom: cut the flower stalk at the base. The rosette that flowered slowly declines and is replaced by offsets around it.
- Spring cleanup: pull away old brown leaves and remove only damaged ones.
- Winter: evergreen in Michigan. Avoid low spots where water sits in winter.
Wear gloves when tidying; the leaves are stiff and pointed.
Gravel gardens, slopes and pots
Color Guard is at home in gravel gardens, rock gardens and dry slopes, and near roads or shorelines where tougher plants are needed. It also makes a striking container plant in a pot of gritty mix. The evening fragrance of the flowers is light and sweet, a small bonus on summer nights.
About the plug tray
Color Guard is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, a good choice for mass plantings and dry beds. See the product page for current availability, or visit the Wholesale Hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does the plant die after it flowers?
The individual rosette that flowered slowly declines, but offsets around it carry the clump forward, so the planting lives on.
Why are my leaves turning pink?
That is normal. The yellow areas blush rose-pink in cold weather and return to cream and gold as it warms.
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