The Yucca desmettiana that lives on the grey sandstone pot on the pillar by the entrance to the koi pond section has been living upside down for months, since the latter part of last winter. It keeled over after experiencing days of strong winds and was left like that until we had the time to sort it out.
Last week was the time...
I wasn't that surprised that it fell over, seeming as it has a habit of crawling or 'snaking away' as it grows, like this clump we saw at Barcelona Botanical Garden early last year.
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| Yucca desmettiana |
It was reasonably well rooted but the way to move forward was to try to reroot it higher up on its existing trunk. So it was reburied much deeper. Cross fingers it will re-root and re-establish itself.
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| Voila! It's to one side I but quite like it like that! |
For now it is secure. And besides Twinkles Is keeping a close guard of it!
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
With Twinkles by its side, it will be upright indefinitely :)
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy how its snakes about like that, I kind of like it! I wonder if mine will do the same. If it does my cat will likely adopt it as some kind of exotic pet.
It seems Twinkles is actually helping now to keep it upright rather than contributing to it falling down :) hopefully it will creep away too in your garden if you like that look, which I do too.
DeleteWhat a coincidence: A friend gave me a Yucca desmetiana just this past Saturday! (It's the cultivar 'Blue Boy', but I don't think there's much difference, if any.) Mine is small in a 1-gallon pot, but it's good to know that it has the tendency to form a curved trunk.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love--no, make that LOVE--that pot. Twinkles agrees! Did you buy it or make it?
I was thinking along the same lines whilst I was writing this post Gerhard, that it's called something else in the US. Perhaps they are one in the same? We bought the pot because it looked very similar to the coping stones we used on the koi pond. Glad you like it! It's only disadvantage is that it is very, very heavy. Disproportionately heavy to its size which has surprised us :)
DeleteWonderful color, with habits that look like something dreamed up by Seuss.
ReplyDeleteFun plant isn't it Ricki? :)
DeleteI had no idea Yucca desmettiana did that snaky thing. Hope it roots for you. Love the shot of Twinkles in the pot. Such a cute kitty!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison :) hope it does root as it can go rot as well, yikes!
DeleteTwinkles seems well satisfied with the work. The Yucca looks pretty good too.
ReplyDeleteShe's happy that there's extra space on the pot for her now Jessica :)
DeleteSo nice of you to place the plant to one side of the pot so Twinkles had room to perch there. That specimen at Barcelona Botanical Garden is amazing, the colors and the snaking. I wish this yucca was more reliable here. I've read about enough failures in warmer gardens than mine here in the PNW that I'll just admire it from afar...and think about getting one to overwinter in the greenhouse. :)
ReplyDeleteExactly Evan :) it can be a temperamental yucca, even here I see so many specimens that didn't do well
DeleteI'd no idea that Y. desmettiana could travel like that, much less fly like yours tried to do. I hope the small one in my garden will be more well-behaved. I'm not sure Pipig is up to the guard duty assumed by Twinkles.
ReplyDeletePipig will do a fine job too Kris I'm sure :) I was hoping it was going to be more of an upright grower but creeping away doesn't look too bad either
DeleteTwinkles is such a hard working cat! And I wish my Yucca desmettiana 'Blue Boy' or 'Purpurea' (since the seem to be one and the same) looked as good as yours...
ReplyDeleteIt looks like they are the same Loree :) keep an eye this year, it might pleasantly surprise you!
DeleteA cat bed. You made a cat bed with shade. What an amazing plant though. I'm like everyone else - love the snaking habit and the colour.
ReplyDeleteThe colour is beautiful even Twinkles appreciates it Missy :)
DeleteGosh that's a brave move! Do you already know,that the plant has a tendency to reroot or are you literally 'fingers crossed'? Love that last photo - very regal! :)
ReplyDeleteIt has good potential to reroot from the stem Caro but there's always that risk that rot may happen instead. So fingers crossed still :)
DeleteWhat an extraordinary plant, a veritable escape artist! Good job you have Twinkles to stand guard...
ReplyDeleteTwinkles is doing a fab job so far Janet :)
DeleteInteresting phenomenon--there's nothing tougher than a Yucca.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the tree in the picture with the ladder--there on the left hand side? It's lovely.
Hi Gail, it's a yew tree, Taxus baccata, one of the few plants that remains from when we moved in :)
DeleteHaha, I think Twinkles also likes it to one side too :)
ReplyDeleteThink so too Lisa :)
DeleteI love the shades of burgundy in the leaves of the yucca. Twinkles makes a good pot filler in the design idea (thriller, filler and spiller).
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh Laurin! :)
DeleteHaha, it looks like it's trying to escape from the pot. That photo of the snake-like ones at the botanical garden is incredible! I have one in my garden but haven't seen what they do over time, now I know!
ReplyDeleteEven better when they start sending out pups too that will crawl away along with the mother plant Amy :)
DeleteTwinkles obviously thinks you left that space on the side for him! Cool plant. I would be tempted to plant it so that it could snake along the ground.
ReplyDelete