Other Names:  syn. Dasylirion longissimum

Description:

This stunning plant bears extremely narrow blue-green leaves that radiate symmetrically from a large woody trunk that forms over time; tall spikes of white flowers from reddish buds; good for hot, dry sites; great for borders, patios and containers

Ornamental Features

Mexican Grass Tree features bold spikes of white flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage. The narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Mexican Grass Tree is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Mexican Grass Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Mexican Grass Tree will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity extending to 12 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Mexican Grass Tree makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.