Can anyone identify this flower/plant?

June 24, 2014 11:20 AM

Image is here. I'm in Northern California (Bay Area) if that helps to clarify.
posted by thewumpusisdead to Home & Garden (15 answers total)

Looks like a type of Yucca to me.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:26 AM on June 24, 2014

What a beautiful plant!

I've never seen anything like it (our yuccas are white), but a quick Google for "pink yucca" and "red yucca" does seem to confirm it. Wikipedia suggests it is also called hummingbird yucca.

I'm going with hummingbird yucca.
posted by General Tonic at 11:32 AM on June 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

Facebook has a feature called Plant Identification that has open membership.
posted by Raybun at 11:56 AM on June 24, 2014

Best answer: Are you people out of your minds? No way is that thing a yucca, the structure of the flower stalk is totally different, as is the shape of the flower itself. The leaves look like something in the iris family to me, but the flowers themselves aren't right for that. But yucca? Definitely not, especially in Northern California.
posted by contraption at 12:08 PM on June 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

I think it's a kind of, or related to gladiola, maybe Byzantine gladiola?
posted by tula at 12:12 PM on June 24, 2014

Best answer: Contraption is rightish. There's no way this plant--red yucca--is a yucca.

According to wikipedia, it "has become popular in xeriscape landscape design for public and private gardens in California and the Southwestern United States."
posted by General Tonic at 12:17 PM on June 24, 2014 [1 favorite]

I was thinking a Gladiolus as well. For comparison, here's a search for
Gladiolus communis ssp byzantinus
posted by Azara at 12:22 PM on June 24, 2014

Watsonia? It def looks like a bulb.
posted by missmary6 at 12:30 PM on June 24, 2014 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I also think it looks like a bulb, and my initial thought is also watsonia. (Although I always get them mixed up with crocosmias; all those South African bulbs get lumped together for me.)
posted by purpleclover at 1:06 PM on June 24, 2014 [2 favorites]

Oh, and I absolutely do not think it's a red yucca.
posted by purpleclover at 1:06 PM on June 24, 2014

I think Crocosmia.
posted by humboldt32 at 4:53 PM on June 24, 2014

Definitely Crocosmia.
posted by caryatid at 5:00 PM on June 24, 2014

Best answer: It's a Watsonia. Probably a hybrid. Crocosmia flowers are not aligned the same way on the stem, their leaves are fluted, and they do not come in magenta.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:28 PM on June 24, 2014 [2 favorites]

But yucca? Definitely not, especially in Northern California.

We actually grow many Yucca species in Northern California. I have Yucca dismetiana "Blue Boy" in my backyard right now. Otherwise I agree with the general sentiment of your comment. :)
posted by oneirodynia at 5:32 PM on June 24, 2014

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that it was impossible to grow it up there, just that the chances of a randomly-selected ornamental being a yucca are much lower than they would be in, say, Southern California.
posted by contraption at 7:59 PM on June 24, 2014