Mexican Lily is a clump-forming, stemless, herbaceous, semi-woody yucca in the agave family with gray-green stiff leathery leaves and attractive flowers. It is native to northern Mexico and works well in containers or planted in small groups along a shrub border. Its architectural shape makes it a lovely specimen plant with soft leaves and it is right at home in a drought-tolerant rock garden. The genus honors Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Beschorner, a German amateur botanist. The epithet, yuccoides, derives from the botanical name of the genus Yucca, and oides is Greek, meaning "likeness". Mexican Lily does not tolerate frosts and is best grown in warm, sheltered south- or west-facing sites in full sun, where temperatures do not fall below 23 °F. In North Carolina, it can be grown under glass or indoors. The plant requires little water. This species is native to Mexico where it often is found on rocky slopes. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheAsparagus densiflorus Sprengeri GroupBaptisia 'Carolina Moonlight'Cyclamen hederifolium
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Succulent
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Mounding
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Denticulate
Leaf feel
Leathery; Smooth
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Rosette of 20 to 35 long, linear, gray-green sword-like leaves that are widened at their base. About16 to 24 inches long and 1.3 inches wide and finely denticulate.
Flower color
Green; Pink; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The inflorescence reaches a height of 39 to 71 inches, with a maximum height of 130 inches. The stem and the bract are red. The flowers are green, 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruits are elongated to almost spherical, 1.2 to 1.6 inches long and 1/2 to 1 inch wide