Beschorneria albiflora
Beschorneria albiflora• flowering season: summer
• height: with age a plant will grow to 6 feet tall, younger plants will have leaves that are 2 to 3 feet tall; flowers stems up to 5 feet
• Light requirements: sun
• Soil requirements: average
• Water requirments: average, drought tolerant
• Growth habit: grows into a slowly widening clump
• How to propagate: by digging out one of its side shoots or by seeds
• Leaf type: long, sword-like leaves
• Ways to use it: can be grown outdoors in mild climates or in a pot
• Special characteristics: flowers change colors as they mature, at different stages being green, white or red
• Other points of interests: outside of California this architectural plant is rarely encountered
This evergreen plant resembles a yucca or agave in appearance, although its leaves are softer and spineless. Different from some other members of its genus, it developes a stem with age, eventually to six feet tall. On a mature plant each leaf will be two to three feet long by about three inches wide. The flowers appear on a loosely branched stem from the rosettes of leaves. The flowers are only briefly white. What is much more colorful are the plant's red stems. Said to be able to survive to 15 to 20°F, USDA Zone 8b. It is native to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. Seedhunt.com supplies us with the seeds of this architectural plant, as well as the seeds of some other plants we grow, such as honeybush, Melianthus major. Its name honors a German botanist by the name of Beschorner who lived in the 1800's. A limited number are available.
