The Perennial Matchmaker

Yuccas (Yucca) produce large, dramatic rosettes of long, swordlike leaves and towering clusters of white, bell-shaped blooms in summer. Some of the hardiest species include Adam’s needle (Y. filamentosa, also sold as Y. flaccida), for Zones 4 to 10; big bend or beaked yucca (Y. rostrata), for Zones 5 or 6 to 10; and soapweed (Y. glauca), for Zones 3 to 10. In leaf, they’re typically 2 to 3 feet tall and wide; in bloom, they can reach 6 to 8 feet tall.

Leaf colors vary among the yucca species but are usually in the gray-green to blue-green range. For soothing harmony, pair them with perennials that have gray to blue foliage. Just make sure that those partners offer some contrast in texture and/or form—such as rue (Ruta graveolens) or blue false indigo (Baptisia australis), which both have fine-textured leaves and dense, mounded plant shapes—so they don’t all blend together. Cool blue flowers add to the harmony: Consider catmints (Nepeta), lavenders (Lavandula), and sea hollies (Eryngium). For a bit more zip, look for companions that have silvery leaves, such as ‘Powis Castle’ artemisia (Artemisia), or white flowers, such as ‘David’ summer phlox (Phlox paniculata) or ‘White Swan’ purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

Yuccas’ grays and blues look great with pastel pinks, soft yellows, or peachy flowers: ‘Bath’s Pink’ dianthus (Dianthus), ‘Susanna Mitchell’ marguerite (Anthemis), and sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris) are just a few examples. For more intensity, select stronger versions of those colors, such as magenta-flowered rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) or winecups (Callirhoe involucrata), golden yellow ‘Zagreb’ threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata), or brilliant orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Variegated yuccas offer even more possibilities. You could, for example, echo the markings of ‘Ivory Tower’ Adam’s needle with white flowers. Yellow-striped Adam’s needles, such as ‘Color Guard’ and ‘Golden Sword’, pair beautifully with yellow-petaled or yellow-centered flowers, such as ‘Full Moon’ coreopsis, ‘Moonshine’ yarrow (Achillea), and ‘Becky’ Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum), as well as a wide range of pink, purple, and orange shades. For a high-contrast effect, pair them with deep purple or maroon leaves, such as dark-leaved sedums (Sedum) or purple heart (Setcreasea pallida); with bright blues and purples, such as ‘Homestead Purple’ verbena (Verbena); or with rich red or bicolor flowers, such as ‘Arizona Sun’ blanket flower (Gaillardia).

In flower, yuccas’ tall bloom clusters show off beautifully against an equally tall or taller green-leaved backdrop, such as an evergreen or deciduous shrub or a sizable ornamental grass, like pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana). Color-wise, their white tends to be on the ivory side, so you may want to avoid planting them right next to partners with bright white blossoms; instead, put some space between them with greens or other colors. Consider pairing yuccas with cool purple-blues to silvery blues, such as globe thistles (Echinops) and Russian sages (Perovskia), or go bolder with bright colors in other large-flowered perennials, such as daylilies (Hemerocallis) and summer phlox (P. paniculata).

A Perfect Match

Combining strikingly spiky yuccas with “weaving” partners—low-growing companions with slender, trailing stems that can creep through the yuccas’ swordlike leaves—is an easy way to make them look at home among more typical border perennials. Magenta-flowered winecups (Callirhoe involucrata) are marvelous for this sort of match. Purple ‘Imagination’ verbena (Verbena) also works wonderfully as a weaver.

Shape-wise, yucca plants tend to have an overall mounded to rounded outline, but their long, strappy leaves provide a spiky effect, as well. They’re so striking that a single yucca in a border may look out of place, yet repeating clumps of yucca along the length of the border can take up a lot of space and may appear too formal. Instead, consider repeating the effect with other perennials that have a similar spiky-mounded effect, such as blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) or bearded or sweet irises (Iris Bearded Hybrids or I. pallida). Or echo it with strappy-leaved perennials that have a more upright outline, such as blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis), ‘Dallas Blue’ switch grass (Panicum virgatum), and rattlesnake master (E. yuccifolium).

Yuccas are outstanding for providing contrast to perennials with tiny, ferny, or rounded to oblong leaves, like those of perennial candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) and sedums (Sedum), or with dainty flowers, such as gaura (Gaura lindheimeri). They also add drama rising out of perennials that form low, dense carpets, such as moss phlox (P. subulata) and lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), and they make excellent supports for companions with upright but somewhat sprawling habits, such as Rozanne hardy geranium (Geranium ‘Gerwat’) and some penstemons (Penstemon). For an especially dramatic contrast, pair them with the globe-shaped blooms of alliums (Allium).

In warm climates, yuccas flower from early to midsummer; in cooler areas, mid- into late summer. Young plants often take several years to reach flowering size, so you may want to focus on foliage partners, at least at first. Once a rosette sends up a bloom stalk, it will not flower again, but it will produce new rosettes around its base, eventually forming a large clump that is likely to have several flower spikes each year. (Cut off the entire stalk when the flowers drop to tidy the plants and prevent self-sowing.) The foliage of yuccas is attractive all year long.

Bloom Buddies

Marvelous Matches for Flowering Combos

Yuccas (Yucca) thrive in full sun to light shade and average, well-drained soil. Below are just a few compatible perennials that tend to bloom around the same time as sturdy yuccas.

Blazing stars (Liatris)

Coreopsis (Coreopsis)

Daylilies (Hemerocallis)

Echinaceas (Echinacea)

Rudbeckias (Rudbeckia)

Russian sages (Perovskia)

Sea lavender (Limonium latifolium)

Summer phlox (Phlox paniculata)