our lord's candle
Hesperoyucca whipplei
USDA zones7 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterNeeds dry soil
Size3 to 14 feet tall5 to 6 feet wide
- Habit
- Cactus/succulent
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White , yellow
- Foliage color
- Gray-green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Our lord's candle (Hesperoyucca whipplei) is a succulent for borders and low maintenance gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 7, or down to 0°F (-18°C). This plant likes full sun and dry, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Its gray-green rosette of spine-tipped leaves looks good even without flowers. Deer and rabbits usually look elsewhere for a meal. After several years, it sends up a tall stalk with hundreds of drooping, creamy flowers, and then the plant dies.
Pairs well with American century plant, Grosso lavandin, and Narrow-leaf chalksticks.
Native range
AZ and CA.