Yucca gloriosa, also known as Spanish dagger, mound lily yucca and other common names, is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family, native to the southeastern United States. Growing to , it is an evergreen shrub. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental for its architectural qualities, and has reportedly become established in warmer climates in the wild in various parts of the world.

Description Yucca gloriosa is caulescent, usually with several stems arising from the base, the base thickening in adult specimens. The long narrow leaves are straight and very stiff, growing to long and wide. They are dark green with entire margins, smooth, rarely finely denticulate, acuminate, with a sharp brown terminal spine. The inflorescence is a panicle up to long, of bell-shaped white flowers, sometimes tinged purple or red. The fruit is a leathery, elongate berry up to long.Flora of North America v 26 p 429Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 319.Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida i–x, 1–806. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.Radford, A. E., H. E. Ahles & C. R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas i–lxi, 1–1183. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

Taxonomy Yucca gloriosa was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Genetic evidence has shown that the species originated via multiple hybridizations between Yucca aloifolia and Yucca filamentosa. It is classified as part of the Yucca genus within the Asparagaceae family.

The species has two accepted varieties:

Yucca gloriosa var. gloriosa Yucca gloriosa var. tristis

Yucca gloriosa has synonyms of the species or one of its two varieties including 28 species.

Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Dracaena ensifolia 1812 species var. tristis = het., nom. illeg. Yucca acuminata 1827 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca acutifolia 1869 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca angustifolia 1859 species var. tristis = het., nom. illeg. Yucca boerhaavii 1870 species var. tristis = het. Yucca ellacombei 1872 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca ensifolia 1858 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca eylesii 1880 species var. tristis = het. Yucca falcata 1876 species var. tristis = het. Yucca falcata var. semicylindrica 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis 1859 species var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis f. boerhaavii 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis f. ensifolia 1895 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca flexilis var. ensifolia 1880 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca flexilis var. falcata 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis f. hildrethii 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis f. patens 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca flexilis f. peacockii 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis f. semicylindrica 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca flexilis f. tortulata 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. acuminata 1895 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. acuminata 1868 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. elegans 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. ellacombei 1880 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. flexilis 1902 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa f. genuina 1873 form Y. gloriosa ≡ hom., not validly publ. Yucca gloriosa var. glaucescens 1860 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. longifolia 1862 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. longifolia 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. maculata 1859 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. maculata 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. marginata 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. marginata-aurea 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. mediopicta 1880 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. mediostriata 1880 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. mediostriata 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. minor 1860 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. minor 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. mollis 1860 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. nobilis 1860 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. nobilis 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. obliqua 1870 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. obliqua 1895 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa subvar. parviflora 1860 subvariety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. pendula 1903 form var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. planifolia 1873 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. plicata 1860 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. pruinosa 1880 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. pruinosa 1895 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. recurvata 1870 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. recurvifolia 1873 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. robusta 1860 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. rufocincta 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa f. rufocincta 1895 form var. tristis = het. Yucca gloriosa var. superba 1870 var. gloriosa variety = het. Yucca gloriosa f. superba 1902 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. tortulata 1880 variety var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa f. tortulata 1895 form var. gloriosa = het. Yucca gloriosa var. variegata 1880 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca grandis 1904 species var. tristis = het. Yucca integerrima 1812 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca japonica 1859 species var. tristis = het. Yucca longifolia 1859 species var. tristis = het., nom. illeg. Yucca obliqua 1812 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca patens 1870 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca peacockii 1880 species var. tristis = het. Yucca pendula 1858 species var. tristis = het. Yucca pendula var. aurea 1877 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca pendula var. variegata 1875 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca plicata 1873 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca plicatilis 1873 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca pruinosa 1870 species var. gloriosa = het. Yucca recurva 1812 species var. tristis = het. Yucca recurvifolia 1806 species var. tristis = het. Yucca recurvifolia f. elegans 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca recurvifolia f. marginata 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca recurvifolia var. rufocincta 1870 variety var. tristis = het. Yucca recurvifolia f. rufocincta 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca recurvifolia f. tristis 1902 form var. tristis ≡ hom. Yucca recurvifolia f. variegata 1902 form var. tristis = het. Yucca rufocincta 1819 species var. tristis = het. Yucca semicylindrica 1870 species var. tristis = het. Yucca stenophylla 1859 species var. tristis = het. Yucca superba 1819 species var. gloriosa = het., nom. illeg. Yucca tortulata 1870 species var. gloriosa = het. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym

Names In addition to Spanish dagger and mound lily yucca, Yucca gloriosa is also commonly known as Roman candle, palm lily, and Spanish needle. However all of these names are ambiguous, with Roman candle also referring to Senna alata or a trade name for a Podocarpus macrophyllus cultivar, palm lily almost always referring to Cordyline fruticosa or other Cordylines, and Spanish needle also referring to Bidens alba.Linda C. Duever. "#898 Bidens alba." Floridata. 21 November 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2026.

In the horticultural trade, Yucca gloriosa var. tristis varieties, with their less rigid leaves, are often referred to as Y. pendula or Y. recurvifolia, and commonly called soft-leaf (or soft-tipped) yucca, weeping yucca, curve-leaf yucca or curved-leaved Spanish-dagger.

Habitat Yucca gloriosa grows on exposed sand dunes along the coast and barrier islands of the lower East Coast of the United States, often together with Yucca aloifolia and a variety formerly called Yucca recurvifolia or Y. gloriosa var. recurvifolia, now Y. gloriosa var. tristis. Large, endemic populations can be found in the beach and dune environments of coastal North Carolina., search for "Yucca recurvifolia" In contrast to Y. gloriosa var. tristis, the leaves of Y. gloriosa var. gloriosa are hard stiff, erect and narrower. On the other hand, Y. aloifolia has leaves with denticulate margins and a sharp-pointed, terminal spine.

Distribution Yucca gloriosa is native to the coast and barrier islands of southeastern North America, growing on sand dunes. It ranges from extreme southeastern Virginia south to northern Florida in the United States. It is associated with Yucca filamentosa, Yucca aloifolia, and Opuntia species.

Cultivation The plant is widely cultivated in warm temperate and subtropical climates, and valued as an architectural focal point. It has reportedly escaped from cultivation and naturalised in Italy, Turkey, Mauritius, Réunion, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Yucca gloriosa In landscape use, little maintenance is needed other than the removal of dead leaves when the shrub nears its ultimate height. The plant is very hardy, without leaf damage at , and can handle brief snow and freezing temperatures, as well as long periods of drought.

Yucca gloriosa, and the cultivars 'Variegata' and = 'Walbristar' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Properties Yucca gloriosa has been known to cause skin irritation and even allergic reactions upon contact. The leaf points are even sharp enough to break the skin.

References

External links

http://yuccaagavaceae.com/photos/details.php?image_id=82 Original Erstbeschreibung