Nolina nelsonii

Nelson’s blue beargrass
Soft-tip, succulent star makes spectacular flower plumes atop trunked rosette in maturity. Good in pots. Durable. Drought tolerant.
Nolina nelsonii
height 4–10ft
width 3–6ft
tolerates Cold, Drought, Heat, Pots, Rooftops, Wind
water
needs		 Lowest
water
info		 Water this plant every couple of weeks through its first dry season. Use drippers, emitters, or a slow stream of water so that it doesn’t run off; allow the water to trickle all the way down through the deepest layers of soil. Going forward it won’t need supplemental irrigation, though it will look more lush if given water every two to four weeks during dry weather once established. In a pot slowly water the entire surface until water comes out of the bottom of your pot.
hardy
to		 0F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose, Low Needs
origin NE Mexico
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 6–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

This plant will naturally develop a thick beard of old leaves over time, which can be trimmed off if desired, to have a thinner textured trunk. This is recommended in high fire areas.

Special Interest

This plant is monocarpic, and so will grow to maturity, send out an impressively sized creamy-golden plume of flowers and then die. Suckers will sometimes form at the base after blooming to replace the plant, but otherwise the original plant will die. This plant usually takes a thirty years or so to develop a flower.