Mexican Lily

Mexican Lily (Beschorneria yuccoides) gives you the architecture of an agave without the spines, then does something no agave manages: it flowers spectacularly and keeps living. The foliage rosette stays neat at about 0.9m tall and 1.2m across, built from soft, blue green, sword shaped leaves. In spring a coral pink stem arches to roughly 1.8m, hung with green flowers in red bracts that honeyeaters work for weeks. Very few dramatic plants ask for so little water.

Why you'll love it

• Sharp form, soft leaves. The silhouette says agave, but the foliage is pliable and unarmed, so it is safe beside a path or a seat.
• A flowering event, not a farewell. Unlike a century plant it does not die after flowering; the rosette carries on and offsets into a clump.
• Bird attracting. The arching coral stems are built for nectar feeders, and honeyeaters find them fast.
• Drought and heat tolerant. Once established it lives on rainfall in most warm temperate gardens.
• Coastal proof. Salt tolerant and unbothered by wind, so it keeps its shape on exposed blocks.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One plant is enough at a corner, a step or the turn of a path. Three set 1.2m apart in a gravel bed read as a deliberate group.

Rockeries and dry gardens. Its home ground: sharp drainage, lean soil and full sun. It pairs cleanly with agaves, aloes and ornamental grasses.

Pots and coastal gardens. A 400mm to 500mm pot in free draining mix holds it for years, and the low wide rosette suits a shallow bowl.

Growing Mexican Lily in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the tightest rosette and best flowering. It takes light shade but opens out and leans. Suited to warm temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens. It handles light frost only, so hard frosting districts want a warm north facing wall or a pot that can be moved. Constant wet rules out the humid tropics.

Soil. Drainage matters far more than fertility. Sand, gravel and rocky ground are ideal. On clay, plant on a raised mound with coarse sand or scoria worked through.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to get roots down, then leave it alone. Established plants need water only in extended dry spells. A light dose of slow release fertiliser in early spring is plenty; overfeeding produces floppy leaves.

Maintenance. Pull spent lower leaves away by hand and cut the flower stem at the base once it browns off. Separate offsets with a spade in spring to build a drift.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in 200mm pots in packs of six, the practical size for this plant: large enough to go straight into the ground with a recognisable rosette, small enough to establish quickly and price sensibly when you need a group. Expect a plant roughly 250mm to 350mm across, thickening to full size over two to three seasons, with flowering usually from the third year.

Plants are packed upright for transit and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Water in well at planting, then hold back: too much water is the most common cause of failure. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full succulent range
• Compare drought tolerant plants
• Choosing plants for poor and sandy soil
• Find a wide bowl or trough to suit it

Common questions

Does it die after flowering like an agave?

No, and that is the main reason to choose it over a century plant. The rosette flowers, the stem browns off and is cut away, and the plant carries on, offsetting around the base.

How big does it actually get?

The foliage rosette is the size you plan around: about 0.9m tall and 1.2m wide. The flower stem is temporary and arches to roughly 1.8m in spring, so allow clearance beside a path.

How far apart should I plant a group?

About 1.2m apart, matching the mature spread. Any closer and the rosettes collide and lose their clean outline.