Asked on May 18, 2012

What is this and What do I do with this?

Tonya K
by Tonya K
It is behind my garage? why did someone plant that there?
It is behind my garage? why did someone plant that there?
  121 answers
  • Deborah G Deborah G on May 18, 2012
    Looks like a Lily of some kind. Would say an Iris but it would of bloomed by now. Keep it.
  • Angela S Angela S on May 18, 2012
    That's a Yucca Plant, I believe - the stalks should have little white flowers in the spring if it is. It grows from tubers and can be divided and replanted if you like it - but most of the year it will look pretty much like it does now. They are very hardy once established, so if you wanted to trim the dead leaves and stalks off of this one to tidy it up, it would be fine. If I recall, the native Americans used the roots of these to make soap, so if your really enthused, you could do that - lol.
  • Gloria W Gloria W on May 18, 2012
    Looks like Yucca Plant or other wise Day Lilies...Enjoy!
  • Cher M Cher M on May 18, 2012
    roots run deep, a big single cat tail grows from it. The leaves are sharp. Get rid of! It gets monsterous
  • Chloe W Chloe W on May 18, 2012
    Yes, it's a yucca. Sometimes there are stalks that grow up from the plant to a couple of feet above it. These produce clusters of white bell-like big flowers. You might cut out the twiggy thing growing around it. Nothing can harm this plant, it's very sturdy. Mine blooms every other year.
  • Jane M Jane M on May 18, 2012
    I love these, very tropical looking, Angela S, you r correct. I have these in my yard.
  • Ronda R Ronda R on May 18, 2012
    It's a Yucca plant. They really suck!
  • Annelise B Annelise B on May 18, 2012
    YUCCA...IT GROWS AND SPREADS...
  • Susan W Susan W on May 18, 2012
    kinda looks like a daylily.....
  • Shannon H Shannon H on May 18, 2012
    yep that a yukka and yes bad plant!! lol
  • Stephanie A Stephanie A on May 18, 2012
    yes this is Yucca !! looks like it needs divided thats why there is so much dead on it...it will get really tall white flowers that shoot up in it..very pretty..google Yucca plant to see what the flowers look like..I have several and we love them : D
  • Daphne W Daphne W on May 18, 2012
    probably planted it there because they didn't want anyone to see it! Just kidding but yucca are not my favorite plant - once they start sending out tuberous babies - they are invasive and hard to get rid of. The blooms are about the only redeeming characteristic in my opinion..
  • Ellen A Ellen A on May 18, 2012
    it's a 'weeping' yucca...they're really beautiful...and in my opinion they do not suck! lolol
  • Libby J Libby J on May 18, 2012
    Yucky yucca
  • Alice D Alice D on May 18, 2012
    its a yucca plant i have them they have pretty white flowers
  • Pam V Pam V on May 18, 2012
    Yucca, you can eat the tubers, taste kind of like potato , Native Americans ate it.
  • 86930 86930 on May 18, 2012
    It's a yucca plant
  • Janet R Janet R on May 18, 2012
    Im from New Mexico, have to love yucca here because they love the desert and they bloom beautifully without water! I believe thats what that is
  • Vickie W Vickie W on May 18, 2012
    Yucca plant
  • Nancy Rhodes C Nancy Rhodes C on May 18, 2012
    I always thought Yucky Yucca too but my cousin in Chicago ordered one for her beautiful yard. The stalk grows straight up in center with sweet white flowers. People plant them under windows for safety for the leaves are sharp as a knife if this is truly a Yucca. There is interesting history for the Yucca plant.
  • Val L Val L on May 18, 2012
    I live in the Vegas desert, yes it is a Yucca. Don't need much water. Just and FYI, if you think you can get rid of it by digging it out. Never happen, if you leave just the tiniest piece of tuber in the ground, it will just grow back.
  • Carol M Carol M on May 18, 2012
    Yucca plant! Too pokey so I got rid of it. VERY hard to kill..and it spread. Good in the desert, not in my NW English garden.
  • Michelle M Michelle M on May 18, 2012
    Yucca doesn't droop like that. They are very tough and the pointed end will poke you bad enough to bleed. Iris have come and gone here in CO. Sure looks like something you might want to keep and see what blooms.
  • Patricia D Patricia D on May 18, 2012
    it is a Yucca and it is YUCK! Not worth keeping with so many other beautiful plants available...
  • Robin M Robin M on May 18, 2012
    Yucca....looks like Adam's Needle variety.... Tubers go to China...lol...hard to completely dig up to move or get rid of if you so desire...
  • Carole P Carole P on May 18, 2012
    yes it is a yucky smell flower yucca plant but it is pretty and keeps soil intack just clean the fonds and it will do great
  • Harry M Harry M on May 18, 2012
    i have two, and I plant between them, adds nice green to your yard.
  • Elizabeth O Elizabeth O on May 18, 2012
    In my opinion the yucca plant holds lots of intrigue and they have the most beautiful flowers that are just wonderfull to photograph. I personally if I had room would plant one they are evergreen and have just unique shaped leaves. So for those who don't like them you can always remove them from your garden. but for those of us who do they were created for a purpose and only beauty is in the eye of the beholder
  • DEIRDRA C DEIRDRA C on May 18, 2012
    IS CENTURY PLANT SAME AS YUCCA?
    • BS BS on Jun 08, 2015
      No. Century plants are agaves. Yuccas bloom every year. An agave only blooms once and then dies. It takes maybe twenty years. Not 100. This is definitely not an agave.
  • Dawn G Dawn G on May 18, 2012
    looks like the yellow iris we have in our yard in the North east. Ours are growing at the back of our garage where they got plowed one soggy spring storm! LOL
  • Melanie Melanie on May 18, 2012
    That is a yucca plant. Just pulled off the dead stuff. Long stems grow out from them with bell shaped flowers. They are prickly leaves for sure but if kept neat and tidy they can look nice.
  • Cheryl E Cheryl E on May 18, 2012
    Yucca or Adam's Needle, a hardy plant usually classified as a shrub. Not a monster - sends up lovely tall stems with ivory flowers. Once a given plant flowers, it usually dies but sends out "pup" like a bromeliad. Pull out spent foliage every year and remove the "stumps" of dead mother plants. It will spread but is not invasive here in southeastern Michigan.
  • Sharon S Sharon S on May 18, 2012
    It is a Tiger Lily Bush I have some of them in my garden they are really pretty when they come out keep it
  • Debbie S Debbie S on May 18, 2012
    It's a Yucca and they really are yucky! Find a way to kill it before they take over your whole yard. They're a weed here and a total pest.
  • Polly K Polly K on May 18, 2012
    I have one but it has 3 different color flowers the little flowers areyellow,purple and blue:) And it has all things that the Yucca plants do but this one is in a big pot and no dirt!! And i water it every once in a while we call it Mards plant as the flowers are the colors used:))
  • Diana K Diana K on May 18, 2012
    if it has sharp fronds,its a sea oat plant,it should have stalks come up in the center and feather out by late summer.:)
  • Michele M Michele M on May 18, 2012
    I think yucca is poisonous unless it's treated in a special way before eating. I would not eat the root.
  • Dani M Dani M on May 18, 2012
    Pompus Grass is what it makes me think of. I have some of that in my front yard. In the fall it should produce some tall stalks that have a 'bottle-brush' - looking feathering on the top. Ornamental and not for eating.
  • Stacie A Stacie A on May 18, 2012
    Yucca plant, not a cattail...those only grow by water or lots of dampness. They are also called Adam & Eve. The flowers don't last long at all, I personally don't like them because this is what they look like most of the time. I got rid of all I had. They belong in the desert :-/
  • Glenda B Glenda B on May 18, 2012
    If you don't want it, spray it with Roundup and kill it out.
  • Kathy M Kathy M on May 18, 2012
    It's a Yucca. We used to have some in West Virginia when I was growing up. They add some nice color to a yard.
  • Gayle P Gayle P on May 18, 2012
    Blerg. It's a yucca. Had one. Finally killed it by putting a concrete slab and a heat pump over it. I hated that blasted thing. Even digging it out didn't work.
  • Pat G Pat G on May 18, 2012
    I would agree that it's a yucca plant..... It grows a long stem that has bell shaped flowers.
  • Pixie H Pixie H on May 18, 2012
    It is a yucca plant, hard to kill and will stick you with the sharp tips the white flowers are beautiful if you can keep it under control, nearly impossible to divide and replant. will kill everything around it even the grass.
  • Emilie S Emilie S on May 18, 2012
    It's definitely a Yucca plant. Not Yucky at all! Flowers are the most sweetly fragrant of any I've ever smelled. They don't spread here in WI. Love mine.
  • Eulalia Eulalia on May 18, 2012
    Yucca plant! Has pretty tall spikes that flower and they are beautiful. When my kids were little they thought the spike looked like a huge asparagus. They were so excited that we had asparagus growing! For years that's what we called it, Asparagus Plant! And it is quite possible to get rid of it, just takes a little effort.
  • Deborah C Deborah C on May 18, 2012
    Yes, it's a Yucca plant. I think they are beautiful, especially right now...they are in full bloom around here! For a natural landscape that adapts well to hot and dry weather, it is perfect! Don't kill it because it has spikes and multiplies....just transplant it to a part of your yard that you could build a rock garden with some other cactus and possibly some Red Yuccas ~ Those are absolutely awesome!!!
  • Rebecca D Rebecca D on May 18, 2012
    Yep it's a Yucca plant
  • Patricia B Patricia B on May 18, 2012
    I have one in my yard it will have a stalk with white flowers on it. My neighbor devided his and its a lot prettier than mine.
  • Leida R Leida R on May 18, 2012
    Ellen A , I agree with you. It is a WEEPING YUCCA. I originally thought it could have been some kind of Lily, but no, it's NOT.
  • Leida R Leida R on May 18, 2012
    Pam V, are you sure this YUCCA can be eaten??? I am of Hispanic origin, and the CASSAVA (YUCCA, YUCA) we eat comes from another plant that looks nothing like this one.
  • Denise Gentry A Denise Gentry A on May 18, 2012
    They will pierce your heart! Beautiful plants, but my husband got stuck one too many times. Now I have no yucca! Its okay, the bloom was beautiful, but he is the one who cuts the grass.
  • Michelle S Michelle S on May 18, 2012
    If it dies back in the winter it is not a yucca. They stay green year around. I had a dutch iris that did this and when i separated it i had blooms the next year. Would need a closer look at the leaves to be more definite.
  • Karen H Karen H on May 18, 2012
    Yucca, the people who like them, love them, the people who don't like them DESPISE them.
  • Sally H Sally H on May 18, 2012
    Divide and share > it does have pretty flowers
  • Therese C Therese C on May 18, 2012
    I like the flowers a Yucca plant has. This one needs slit down and you can move part or share it out.
  • Becky H Becky H on May 18, 2012
    The dense base and foliage indicate some type of iris to me. Yucca's leaves have more integrity/starch, if you know what I mean, and they all emanate from a stem, which doesn't seem to be present in this picture.
  • Charlda W Charlda W on May 18, 2012
    Looks like a sticker cactus bush
  • Linda M Linda M on May 18, 2012
    It's a Yucca. You'll have it around forever.
  • Robert G Robert G on May 18, 2012
    Fortnight lily
  • Mary B Mary B on May 18, 2012
    It's a Yucca-drought tolorent.
  • Jo Y Jo Y on May 18, 2012
    It looks like a yucca or a thread plant
  • Greedith B Greedith B on May 18, 2012
    I love them simply because they stay pretty even after the flower spikes fade.
  • Ann C Ann C on May 18, 2012
    i have one of these and it has some blooms on it
  • Donna R Donna R on May 18, 2012
    Looks like the clump of lilies I have in my garden. Don't know the name but are orangy-red and not tiger lilies.
  • Anna L Anna L on May 18, 2012
    Yucca,they are invasive and very difficult to get rid of.
  • Amy M Amy M on May 18, 2012
    Looks like a walking iris I have. Doesn't look like a yucca.
  • Leida R Leida R on May 18, 2012
    Amy M, I also have a Walking Iris, and I know this plant Is not one of them. This is a WEEPING YUCCA
  • Lisa D Lisa D on May 18, 2012
    I want a Yucca, my old neighbor had one and it was lovely...so hardy and i liked the little hairs it had on the leaves !
  • Rhonda G Rhonda G on May 18, 2012
    I have a yucca, and it's pretty tame and sends up a long shoot of beautiful creamy white flowers aka Adam's Needle, Needle Palm, or Spanish Bayone. The fronds do bend. Mine is grown in the NorthEast and does quite well for what you would consider a desert plant, but they thrive to USDA zone 5. I've used these in many of my designs. We had varigated ones too. They are a perennial plant usually grown to 2 -3 ' tall. They are not invasive. There are other species of the plant related to this one.
  • Jen B Jen B on May 18, 2012
    Just removed a Yucca that the previous sellers of my house planted. The darn thing hurt me everytime I attempted to weed around it so I said to heck with this and gave it to my mother.
  • Nancy L Nancy L on May 18, 2012
    Leaves are too 'soft' for yucca; some form of lily. When it blooms, you'll know!
  • Kim L Kim L on May 19, 2012
    Looks like some type of Lilly - my neighbor has this in her front yard & it seems to bloom only once a year with yellow lilly type flowers. By the way, you need to CLEAN that plant up - remove all the dead debris & you just might start to see flowers!! The dead material on plants seem to suck the strength out of them, so it's important for you to do this
  • JAN R JAN R on May 19, 2012
    It looks like a Yucca plant. I have one, when it blooms it throws up a large stalk with flowers on top. very pretty.
  • Susan C Susan C on May 19, 2012
    They look like wild iris. Fertilize and see what happens.
  • Susan C Susan C on May 19, 2012
    Oh, and cut it back in the winter clean it up!
  • Carla B Carla B on May 19, 2012
    these are also called needle and thread, (Old timey term)
  • Nancy K Nancy K on May 19, 2012
    Since you are from a northern state... it looks like a clump of iris. The bulbs need to be seperated in order to promote blossom growth. The bulbs become smaller in a large overgrown clump and can't produce flowers.... I had iris and gladiolas that did that in my yard. I learned the hard way...Pererate bulbs and watch what happens...
  • Rhonda G Rhonda G on May 19, 2012
    If it was an Iris; you should be able to see the Iris's tubers that are 'saddled' just above the soil line. They are blondish in colour and resemble a gnarled parsnip or a less gnarled ginger root. Yucca will not have those tubers, but thick,slightly darker and slightly smoother roots growing downward..
  • Judy M Judy M on May 19, 2012
    It is a Yucca plant
  • VEA S VEA S on May 19, 2012
    Looks lke a yucca plant to me
  • Pat S Pat S on May 19, 2012
    It's a yucca plant
  • Carla A Carla A on May 19, 2012
    Far as I know, you can't kill them lol.... I've tried.
  • Alethea S Alethea S on May 19, 2012
    Not an iris of any kind. When iris rhizomes spread, they form a circle and the center will be 'nekkid'. This is a Yucca (Spanish Sword, etc.) and can be divided to plant elsewhere. If planted along the back of your garage (hedge-like) it can be a lovely backdrop for other plants and flowers. The spiked foliage can be a nice place to showcase other colors and styles of plants and flowers. Use it to your advantage!
  • Rose V Rose V on May 19, 2012
    I believe that is a yucca plant.
  • Charlda W Charlda W on May 21, 2012
    yucca plant I had five of them growing wild on our propert
  • Eileen M Eileen M on May 25, 2012
    I don't know the real name of the plant at this time but this has peaked my curiosity to find out. Around our area here in northeast point of TN, it is called "The Devil's Shoestring". I think this name comes from the string-like tendrils that are among the leaf parts of the plant and the fact that it thrives in hot summer, never goes away and is for the most part, untouchable. The flower spike is pretty when it is blooming but other wise is just a curiosity that never dies and puts out a nice cluster of flowers on the stalk once a year in summer.
  • Ellen A Ellen A on Jun 14, 2012
    It's called a weeping Yucca...very hot and cold hardy...I love them cuz they're not stiff and pointy, they weep gracefully...when it's a little older it will form a 'stalk'...you can trim the bottom branches and you will see the stalk...I trimmed mine up and it's just lovely....good luck!
  • Penny L Penny L on Sep 12, 2013
    oh lordy that's yuckas.. and I feel for you they spread like wildfire unless you can get every root to kill em. I used gas and viegar and you name at my other home they did nothing but grow stronger. some people love them as for me not .good luck but if you want it out youll dig and dig deep to get to the bottom of those roots
  • Shelby24019 Shelby24019 on Sep 13, 2013
    Does it have seed pods on it now? If so, post a picture, might help. Judging by the dead flower stems it looks like a yucca. And the seeds will germinate.
  • Gloria W Gloria W on Sep 13, 2013
    Yucca Plant, It's a beautiful plant...mine died cause it got so old...Enjoy!
    • Shelby24019 Shelby24019 on Sep 14, 2013
      @Gloria W, I have never seen a yucca die from old age. When the tops start looking bad my hubby chops all the top back with his axe. It puts out new growth the following year. We have found that no matter how much you cut off it will still come back. So when ours start looking ratty, we cut the old stuff off at ground level and give it a new start.
  • Gloria W Gloria W on Sep 14, 2013
    Shelby 24019, your lucky cause mine died...maybe our area..I don't know.
  • Dream Scapes, GA Dream Scapes, GA on Sep 17, 2013
    It is a Yucca. Maybe it was planted there to keep unwanted visitors from poking around the garage......it is a pokey plant. Burglar deterrent?
  • Nancy Nancy on Jun 06, 2014
    It is a yucca plant in late summer white flowers will appear from the tall shoots. This plant is hardy if you want to get rid of it you must dig all the roots out or it will come back!
  • Brian S Brian S on Jun 06, 2014
    odd nobody knows the uses of yucca which include soap and other thing
  • Lawanda Lawanda on Jun 06, 2014
    To be more specific, it looks like Spanish Bayonet and it difficult to kill. You can however try digging it up. The root systems are not usually very deep. It might take a few tries to get it all. I would use Roundup (not the new 365 type) the original Roundup will only kill what you spray it on. It does not get in the soil and travel. Good luck!
  • Ann Ann on Jun 08, 2014
    They usually will grow a stem up the middle and have beautiful creamy white blossoms.
  • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Jun 08, 2014
    Looks like Lemon grass...if you crush the leaves does it have a deep lemon scent?
    • See 1 previous
    • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Apr 25, 2015
      @Linda T Sorry, its hard to see waving grass on the net. I have three huge lemon grass plants...the leaves of the lemon grass is not all that delicate...but yes more then the yucca. Lemongrass keeps snakes and mosquitoes away...I live in the south with a swamp backing up to the back of our place..so with the flavoring that lemongrass is good for, I also like the protection.
  • Zima Zima on Jan 20, 2015
    Keep it! Trim it up, and be glad it adds color to your garage! You will be rewarded!
  • Kim Braman Kim Braman on Feb 11, 2015
    break off a chunk and squeeze it in your fingers. if it smells like citronella, its most definately a yucca. and they are great!
  • Kathleen Murphy Kathleen Murphy on Feb 11, 2015
    I think it is an iris of some sort, possibly a Japanese butterfly, which makes a small white flower that lasts for only a day. (Note the fan-shaped leaves close to the center. It can be divided and transplanted. Fertilize and water daily.
    • Linda T Linda T on Apr 25, 2015
      @Kathleen Murphy Also, nothing like Japanese Butterfly Iris. Google it. The leaves are way finer and so soft, they almost all bend over.
  • Donna R Donna R on Feb 12, 2015
    I have one too. Mine I bought and mine is a Yucca plant. I had 3 and the 2nd year they grew beautiful tall white flowers then I moved them and haven't seen flowers since. It's nice greenery
  • Ann Ann on Feb 15, 2015
    In the south we call this an african Iris plant.
  • Barbara Barbara on Feb 16, 2015
    can't get a clear look at it; but appears to me like day lillies...?
  • Teo Teo on Feb 16, 2015
    Este Iuca de gradina si este foarte rezistenta la ger,nu este pretentioasa si face o tije de circa 1m inaltime pe care cresc multe flori si tin cam o luna,sa va bucurati de ea.
  • Theresa J Theresa J on Feb 22, 2015
    Yucca. Great crime deterrant if planted under windows! Small creamy white, bell shaped "lantern" type flowers hanging from bracket like limbs atop a tall, slender stem. Great for erosion control. Multiplies slowly. May be trimmed for easier transplanting or removal. I planted one at my old house 40 years ago. My children are grown, I divorced and have been remarried for 20 years, and so much more has changed. Except for that yucca. The mail lady still hates it, I understand.
  • D Meconi D Meconi on Mar 15, 2015
    it may in fact be a yucca as it is a bit contained to be iris.........let it flower before you decide to rid yourself of it. Trim the dead leaves of in the spring along with any long stems and wait and see.
  • Judy Judy on May 01, 2015
    It's a yucca
  • Debbie Miller Debbie Miller on May 24, 2015
    It's a Yucca. I had some growing where I didn't want them so I transplanted them to my Frog Pond. The Frogs love to hide underneath the bottom leaves when they feel threatened. They have very pretty flowers but do not last long. And yes, they multiply!
  • BS BS on Jun 08, 2015
    I think this could be agapanthus. The way to tell if it is a yucca is by the texture of the leaves, not whether or not the ends are sharp. Not all yuccas have sharp points, but all yuccas do have extremely tough, fibrous leaves. If your mystery plant has soft, tender leaves sort of like a daylilly, it could be agapanthus. I wouldn't be in a hurry to do anything with it. Give it a growing season and see what it does. Even if it is a yucca, it won't take over your yard in one summer. I have never personally seen a yucca do that anyway. Maybe that's what happens if they get 40+ inches of rain a year. If it is agapanthus, it will bloom purple. It's pretty attractive. During the dormant period (basically winter), you could transplant it to someplace where you could enjoy it more.
  • Joyce Hochsprung Joyce Hochsprung on Jun 08, 2015
    From the pic I would say yucca, as someone else mentioned,, if the leaves are very fibrous probably a yucca. I spent years trying to kill mine off. They are quite useful in certain settings though I would never in a million years plant one on purpose. Yes they do multiply. (Previous owner probably left to escape the yucca, joking sort of.)
  • LT820 LT820 on Jun 08, 2015
    Yucca
  • Mary Ker Mary Ker on Jun 09, 2015
    If you live in the southwest, it may have planted itself. Me, I love "volunteers"... Never have to worry about them, they chose their own place to grow. Plus, of course, free!
  • Brenda Brenda on Jun 12, 2015
    Its a yucca and produces a beautiful white flowers on a stalk.
  • Angela Walton Angela Walton on Jun 12, 2015
    It's a Yucca and if you want to be rid of Yucca's they are very hard to remove, they have deep roots and sometimes shoot under the ground to start new plants....even though the flower part is somewhat pretty I don't really care about the look of the plant so I removed all that were in my flower garden....again, a process trying to rid myself of them
  • DORLIS DORLIS on Jun 16, 2015
    Cut it back and pour vinegar on the stump
  • Jean Luby Jean Luby on Jul 16, 2015
    That's how Yucca go get with time. I kept cleaning them up removing the dry old leaves. They have lovely bloom that's what the sticks are. It's been very neglected and they also aren't worth growing.
  • Teo Teo on Jul 17, 2015
    Aceasta este yuca si face flori frumoase pe o tije lunga primavara.
  • Betty Miller Betty Miller on Jul 20, 2015
    It is Yucca. They spread easy someone may have pitched one and seeds dropped there and it has grown and spread. It doesn't take any care it just grows and spreads. I even tried burning it off didn't work killed it back but just greened up again. Don't get in it with weed eater or small mower leaves will wrap around and make big mess. Historcaly they were used to weave and make baskets and storage containers with because even dried they are strong. Maybe someone on here knows how to do that.
  • Patricia Patricia on Jun 04, 2016
    Looks like Yucca to me! Needs some love and a drink to make the lovely flower spikes. When ignored it tends not to flower. The one on my front lawn has 17 spikes forming right now - the deer do not eat them either...yahoo! The dead leaves make great garden ties.
    • DORLIS DORLIS on Jul 13, 2016
      Had not thought of using the leaves for ties, thanks. I like the flowers so let them go and if they get carried away with themselves, just cut them back and when new shoots start coming up, use the lawnmower on them.
  • Annie Doherty Annie Doherty on Jul 11, 2016
    Used near a wall or boundary fences the Yucca is a great burglar deterrent and so long as you trim them regularly to keep them in shape, they need very little attention. The Bell like flowers are very pretty, as Patricia mentioned a trim and watered it'll be good as new, personally I would keep it.