August 2022 Plant Profile: Nolina nelsonii
Blue Nolina or Nelson’s Bear Grass
Scientific Name: Nolina nelsonii
Location: Our only specimen is located at the Center for Urban Horticulture in the Stormwater Garden (see “CUH-SW” on our CUH Planting Regions map to see exactly where).
Nolina nelsonii, first described in the US National Arboretum archives in 1906, is a drought-tolerant arborescent monocot in Asparagaceae, native to the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, where it grows in the deserts and montane regions as high as almost 9,000’ in elevation!
Our specimen was grown from wild collected seed sent to us from Yucca Do Nursery, TX in 1993. Two seedlings, 389-92A and B, were originally planted out into the McVay Courtyard in 2002 and then moved down to the Stormwater Garden area in 2012 during McVay Courtyard renovation. Only the ‘B’ qualifier survived the move that was contracted out to Big Trees of Snohomish.
Height and Spread: Approximately 6 foot high x 6 foot wide glaucous rosette of leaves, with an additional ~6 foot high flower stalk!
Growth: Dioecious (male or female plants) and monocarpic (mother plant will die after flowering).
When word spread in mid-June that our only Nolina nelsonii or Blue Nolina was flowering in our Stormwater Garden at CUH, an exclamation of surprise typically followed, along with “go see for yourself!” It took 29 years, but it was well worth the wait! The potential sad ending is that as Nolina nelsonii is monocarpic, the mother plant may die after flowering is over. If you do visit (hurry! The show is almost over!), please send it good vibes. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll survive or at least send up a few healthy side shoots for our next generation to admire it’s jumbo 6-foot flowering stalk! And, well, if it does succumb to nature’s way, we can chant Neil Young’s prophetic “Hey Hey, My My…” song lyric: “It’s better to burn out than to fade away,” and say R.I.P. Blue Nolina.
Care:
None, but needs room to grow to dimensions listed or greater in a very well-drained soil and full exposure to thrive! Extremely drought tolerant and hardy to at least 10 F, if provided growing conditions above.