Variegated Yucca (Color Guard)
Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' (or similar variegated cultivar)
- Sun
- Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water
- Low, Drought tolerant once established
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft tall, 3–4 ft wide as a foliage clump; flower spike to 5–7 ft when blooming
- Best for
- Drought-tolerant Landscaping, Low maintenance, Erosion Control, Collector Species
Gallon — $14 — only 4 left
About this size
- Gallon
- Our standard size: a 1-gallon nursery pot, about 6–7 inches across.
Pay at the nursery, plus 6.75% sales tax. Send your request and we'll confirm availability and your pickup time within 24 hours, then hold your plants. How it works
Planting & care
- Growth habit
- Stemless rosette of stiff, sword-shaped leaves that slowly offsets ("pups") to form a multi-rosette clump over time; curling filament threads line the leaf margins
- Typical bloom
- Jun–Jul
- Cold hardy to
- Zones 4–9
- Soil
- Extremely adaptable — thrives in poor, rocky, sandy, or clay soil as long as drainage is reasonable; avoid consistently soggy sites
Where to plant
Full sun for the boldest variegation; tolerates part shade with a slightly looser form. Extremely adaptable soil — poor, rocky, sandy, or clay all work as long as it isn't consistently soggy.
Watering
Low once established. Excellent drought tolerance — avoid overwatering or poor drainage.
Pruning
Remove the spent flower spike after blooming; trim any damaged or browned leaf tips as needed. Handle with gloves — leaf tips are sharp.
About Variegated Yucca (Color Guard)
For year-round color and structure that never takes a season off, Variegated Yucca is hard to beat. Bold cream-and-green striped foliage holds its color through every season, no dormancy, no fall dieback, just a striking architectural rosette that looks as good in January as it does in July.
This is one of the toughest, most cold-hardy plants around, shrugging off winters far colder than anything North Texas throws at it, while sailing through summer heat and drought without complaint. Once established it asks for almost nothing: no regular watering, no fertilizing, no fuss.
It's the plant for anyone who wants a true low-maintenance structural anchor, whether in a bed, a rock garden, or as a striking single specimen, with a pop of variegated color that never fades.
Plants it grows well with
Red Yucca
A soft-leaved, drought-proof native accent plant with towering coral-red blooms that hummingbirds visit all season.
Autumn Sage
A compact, drought-tolerant native shrub that blooms nearly year-round in reds, corals, pinks, and whites.
Gaura
A native perennial with airy, wand-like sprays of white and pink flowers that flutter like tiny butterflies all summer.
Blackfoot Daisy
A drought-proof native perennial with cheerful white, daisy-like blooms from spring through frost.