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There are about 45 species of the genus Yucca, of which only a few are hardy in the colder climates (England and Canada) where I've done my gardening. Y. glauca and Y. fillamentosa are probably the hardiest species. They are both short stemmed with rosettes of course leaves. Y. glauca is larger and Y. fillamentosa has loose thread like structures hanging from the leaf edges. They both have white flowers in a terminal inflorescence, the rosettes dividing after flowering. Both can form large clumps and this is the only way to get frequent flowering.

They are easy to cultivate, preferring a sunny position with well drained soil. That's really it, just leave them.

They can be propagated by removing rosettes and they root easily. In colder climates, seeds are best started in pots and the seedlings hardened off and planted outside when a couple of years old.

Other species can be grown as houseplants but are likely to get too large for most houses. The commonest indoor species being Y. elephantipes (also called Y. guatemalensis), which develops a woody truck that later become very thick at the base. It eventually grows into a large tree but you can prune it and take cuttings.

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