Penny, I have several yuccas, they're thriving in a small hill garden,
in mostly full sun, one "regular" and two variegated.
I'm supposedly zone 6 but pretty much plant for zone 5.
Several good local nurseries sell yuccas and stand by their hardiness here.

They provide great structure with other perennials, they'd make a nice break in texture with the ones you have.

I'm not familiar with desert willow, almost sounds like a contradiction,
willows being such thirsty creatures.

Hi Penny,
I traded for red yucca seeds several years ago. I wintersowed them late spring and the plant lived fine. I think I lost track of it though and mistakenly dug it up to plant something else. I have heard that the red yucca will survive here but needs to get in the ground in spring so it has time to acclimate to this area. Good luck. Kareen

Here is a link that might be useful: Our pond and gardens

Thanks linnea2 abd Kareen for your input. I am really looking forward to getting some of the red yucca in particular to grow for my hummer garden of course.

BTW linnea, I read your member page and your property and your plans sound wonderful! Would love to see it in person or even in pics. I am really intrigued with hypertufa but haven't dived into it yet b/c of everything else I have going on. DH would kill me if I start one more project before finishing the ones I have planned.

Penny

Penny, I looked up red yucca. Apparently it's neither red nor a yucca!
Looks kind of coral, like a quince, it's of the lily family.
Pretty plant! Listed (in the link below) as zone 5 and up.
Should do fine for you.

I'd love show-and-tell, though we live at least 8 hours apart,
NY is a big state!
I'll be happy to email you some pictures if you'll send me an email first;
-I've never figured out how to include pictures
in the GW-generated emails. Do you have broadband?

Anyone interested in my gardens is, of course, irresistible. I have no
local garden buddies. My local forum seems to average a post a month!
I'm actually considering joining a garden club, though I have misgivings...
most of what I see is so...pastel?

Here is a link that might be useful: Red yucca

Linnea,
I just sent you an email. My pc crashed and I am just getting back up and running.

Penny

Hi Penny,
I don't know a thing about the Red Yucca, but you saw the variegated real Yucca 'Bright Edge' in front of the cactus at my house. I think you were paying more attention to the 'Tutti Fruitty' Agastache at the time though, lol. If you get some of the Red Yucca to grow and you have extra, I'm already in line : ) And you are always welcome to a piece of my Yucca.
Oh, and I'm going to give winter sowing a go. I'm not sure how I'll do, but I am out of room in the house because of the tomatoes and other veggies. So when do you put out most of your seeds? And should I put them on the north or west side of my house, or on the east side of my garage?
Remy

Hi Remy,
I do remember seeing your yucca now that you mentioned it. I am much more at ease now knowing that it will do well.

You will love wintersowing. it doesn't really matter where you put the containers since everything will be frozen for a while anyway. The first year I had mine on the north side of the house and last year they were on the east side. This year I will probably put them back on the east side as that is the easiest accessible area for me to tend to them once it starts to warm up. They get the morning sun but don't get too hot in the afternoon. I usually do the hardiest perennials first like my native columbine, coneflowers, blackeyed susan, jacob's ladder, etc. and work my way down to the tenderest plants in late March or early to mid April. I really don't start anything until after the holidays are all over with and everything cleaned up and put away. Then when I get bored I start my winter sowing as I have time. One word of advice....it can get very addictive and before you know it you can have hundreds of seeded containers.....Don't do any more than you know you will have room for (in your case that won't be many since your garden is already so full of gorgeous plants LOL)! This year I am trying to cut WAY back but I am still getting really cool seeds to try from traders most of which will be done later since a lot are tropical, South American or Southwestern. I am really anxious to see which of my salvias and agastaches come back for me next year. I have one salvia microphylla (Wild Watermelon) that was still green until our 10 degree temps last night.

Penny