Beschorneria Species, Amole, Mexican False Red Yucca, Mexican Lily

Either in flower or not, this plant is a stunner.
I purchased three kinds of this species, a hot neon pink, the white variety and ...Read Morealso the 'mini' from Annie's Annuals in northern California. In three years time, it went from a 4" pot plant, to about 3' across and 2' high, with flower spikes about 5-1/2' tall.
and the flower stalks: neon hot pink edged in lime green. Wow! All my gardening friends love this plant. One word of caution: do not plant it in a narrow walk-way, as it needs room to spread. I have mine planted in a side yard which receives only late afternoon shading from a shrub. Grows well in this light. I dug them up this year to put into large pots so I can give them more room...Love this plant.

Whether grown in a container or in the ground, it makes a good focal point in the garden.

The flower scapes are bright mag...Read Moreenta for an extended time before and after flowering and are themselves an important ornamental feature. They clash with hot-colored neighbors.

Unlike most yuccas and agaves, this plant has no spines or other sharp points. This makes it easy and pleasant to garden around, or to bring inside in the fall.

Unlike Yuccas and Agaves, the rosettes of Beschorneria species are NOT monocarpic. They live to bloom for many years, while offsetting.

In its native Mexico, it has wet summers and dry winters, so it needs similar conditions in cultivation to prosper. Good drainage is important. It prefers somewhat acid soils.

In many climates, this plant of open woodlands appreciates some partial/afternoon shade.

This plant is hardy in my garden in south Cornwall (Z9b) in a fairly exposed position, but temperatures below -3C are fairly rare and my ...Read Moregarden gets about 15 air-frosts per year.
In the winter of 2008/9 it survived a freak frost of -8C with little damage exept to the outer leaves. As with most of the Agavaceae this had the benefit of making it produce dozens of offsets! It is growing in ordinary clay/loam with little added drainage. Given extreme drainage and a little shelter, it would probably be hardy to -10C.

This plant needs some some attention to keep it looking its best. In wet cimates snails will ruin its appearance - even one snail hole wrecks the immaculate silvery leaves, so give it slug pellets (Aluminium sulphate or Ferric phosphate are best) every month or so. Clear away dead and damaged leaves and general debris. Using a high Potassium feed may improve its hardiness. Removing some of the dozens of offsets may prevent the plant from getting too congested, besides giving you lots of new plants - but I have yet to try this.

Plants usually have at least six or seven large rosettes of leaves, and dozens of offsets, and only one or two of these usually flower - and later die, so the plant always looks good throughout the year.
I grow it solely as a foliage plant, which is fortunate as it has only produced one flower-spike per year so far! It looks good contrasted with the taller species of Agavaceae with narrower greener, leaves - such as Cordyline australis and Yucca aloifolia, as well as palms and agaves.

A cultivar 'Quicksilver is available, but may not be as hardy.

If you can afford it, try to buy large plants with several offsets as it is rather slow growing. In the UK a large plant would cost £40 - £50. It can be distinguished from Furcraea longaeva (which has almost identical foliage) by the smoothness of the leaf texture. The Furcrae leaves are very rough to the touch, plus of course furcraeas do not form clumps.

While the plant is more hardy than the notes indicate IE zones 8 thru 11, it will not grow in South Lyon, Michigan. I wish more folks wou...Read Moreld pay attention to the fact that when you say it grows in your "Region" that means it grows in the ground outdoors, not in a flower pot on your porch during Summer. It may die after flowering or produce offsets or seedlings.