I have noticed that my rostratas have thinner leaves than the others I have seen. My seed source came from a person in El paso. 😐

It's very interesting to hear your rostratas were seed grown from El Paso. Perhaps the seed is hybrid with another Yucca such as elata or another narrow leaf Yucca. It will be interesting to see your rostratas mature.......perhaps we can find out which, if any, Yucca may be involved. Someone from El Paso sent me some rupicola seed and it's clearly a hybrid since the leaves are 'U' shaped. Keep us posted on your rostratas.

Nice ones guys-

mine is looking happier and healthier every year as well as gaining cold hardiness!

It's very interesting to hear your rostratas were seed grown from El Paso. Perhaps the seed is hybrid with another Yucca such as elata or another narrow leaf Yucca. It will be interesting to see your rostratas mature.......perhaps we can find out which, if any, Yucca may be involved. Someone from El Paso sent me some rupicola seed and it's clearly a hybrid since the leaves are 'U' shaped. Keep us posted on your rostratas.

I thought my rostrata was an elata when I planted it until it got bigger and I noticed trates of rostrata instead of elata (no threads and no white lined leaves). But when it was younger I could have sworn it was elata. 😆

one way to ID Y. rostrata is that the leaf edge may have tiny serrations, predominantly along the part of the leaf closest to the trunk. Do your seed grown rostratas have these tiny serrations? Also, the leaf edge is yellowish. If you have time please post some close up photos of your 'rostrata' plants/leaves.
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This little yucca has no serrations and a thin white stripe on leaf edges, and lots of filaments. Lost tag, but think it said Joshua Tree.
Lousy image (it was windy) but white stripe is evident on one clearly seen leaf.

This little yucca rostrata "sapphire skies" does have the tiny serrations (ouch), even though they're not even noticeable close up.
And a thin band of yellow on each leaf edge .

And until last winter, this next one was a real big beauty.
Looks like it'll be totally dead by the end of summer. 🙁 🙁
Not growing in the center either now.

Photo #1 sure looks to be a Y. elata or perhaps Y. baileyi, angustissima, or a form of glauca.

Photo#2 sure looks like a Y. rostrata.

Photo#3 does not look like the typical Y. rostrata. The leaves appear to be more "U" shaped than rostrata. I would guess it's Y. rigida or the intermediate form between Y. rigida and Y. rostrata aka Y. rostrata v rigida which is available in the market. Yucca rigida is a good zone less hardy than rostrata and may explain why your having difficulties growin it.

Tim, thanks for jogging my memory.

It sure is sad to see the big one (3rd pic) in a death spiral, with nothing I can do.
I don't even want to stress it by potting it up.
What would you do?

Barb

I have a Yucca pallida doing the same (dieing off). I've seen this occur before and sometimes a new offshoot will emerge from the underground roots. Hopefully this will happen with your Yucca. I wouldn't dig it up this time of year. However you may want to give it some winter protection since it may be a Yucca rigida (ie. construct a mini greenhouse around it come November.

one way to ID Y. rostrata is that the leaf edge may have tiny serrations, predominantly along the part of the leaf closest to the trunk. Do your seed grown rostratas have these tiny serrations? Also, the leaf edge is yellowish. If you have time please post some close up photos of your 'rostrata' plants/leaves.

I checked it the other day and it has smooth leaf egdes. 😯 I thought I cheched for this in the past but must not have. But has the typical light yellowish egdes. I could post a pic but it is so windy here I don't think it will show. It looks just like rostrata. I will post a pic later. 😉

Hi Aaron,

Some Y. rostratas have little to no serrations along the leaf margin, so your Yucca may still be a rostrata. Please post some photos when you have a chance.

Here's a pic Tim. 😀

sure looks like Y. rostrata. Based on that photo I see no reason to think it's anything but Y. rostrata.

The thin yellow edge proves it...rostrata.

Thanks you guys. 😀