Giant hesperaloe is an outstanding accent plant that commands your attention. It lives up to its name, since everything about this plant is BIG. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this extremely low-maintenance southwest desert native.
Giant hesperaloe (Hesperaloe funifera) is an aptly name plant since everything about this plant is big — from its 6 foot long leaves to 15 foot flower stalks.
This arresting grass-like succulent is native to parts of the Chihuahuan Desert, where it faces extreme temperature swings, full sun, and little rainfall. It’s so tough that it thrives in inhospitable environments — parking lots, median strips, and other commercial and municipal settings.
It has long, bright-green leaves that grow erectly and are lined with white fibers. After a few years, it will start producing annual spring flower stalks that can reach 12 to 15 feet tall. The creamy-white flowers attract pollinators — hummingbirds during the day and bats at night.
Unfortunately, they are so high in the sky, it’s hard to appreciate how lovely they are!
What you’ll see from ground level looks more like this — spindly spires as tall as a single-story house.
This plant is well-behaved in the garden — it produces no litter and, except for pruning spent flower stalks once a year, it’s virtually maintenance-free.
Why I Like This Plant
- Architectural interest all year long
- Dramatic foliage and flower spires
- Maintenance-free desert native
- No spines, thorns, or prickles
- Attracts hummingbirds, bats
Unlike many desert plants, it’s not out to get you! While the leaf tips are sharp, it’s otherwise “unarmed,” i.e., no thorns, spines, prickles, glochids, or irritating hairs.
Things to Watch Out For
This plant can be overwhelming when not planted in the right spot, so keep this plant’s mature size in mind. There’s no good way to make it smaller if it overgrows its space.
If you have a problem with rabbits or javelinas, consider protecting any new plants for the first year or so. Hungry critters have been known to nibble on new growth.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a giant hesperaloe to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Giant hesperaloe should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 – 10. They can survive in the hottest part of any garden, yet are extremely cold hardy, surviving temperatures down to 5℉ and sometimes even colder.
Sun Exposure
Giant hesperaloe thrives in full sun and reflected heat but tolerates light or bright shade.
Size and Growth Rate
Giant hesperaloe is considered a moderately slow grower. The foliage forms a clump approximately 6 feet tall and wide. And when it sends up its flower stalks, stand back! They shoot up 10 to15 feet into the air.
Soil
Giant hesperaloe grows in all well-draining desert soil types, but it prefers rocky soil.
Other Location Considerations
Since this is almost as litter-free as a plant can be, it’s a good choice to plant anywhere you don’t want a mess.
But avoid planting giant hesperaloe close to walkways and pedestrian areas because of its sharp-tipped leaves and substantial size.
Giant Hesperaloe:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Giant hesperaloe |
| Scientific Name | Hesperaloe funifera |
| Origin | Chihuahuan Desert |
| Plant Type | Succulent |
| USDA Zones | Zones 6 – 10 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 5℉ |
| Flower Color | White |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer |
| Mature Size | 6′ high x 6’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Slow to moderate |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | None |
| Garden Friendly | Unarmed, not toxic |
| Wildlife | Attracts bats, hummingbirds |
How to Plant
Dig a hole as deep as and twice as wide as the nursery container. Carefully remove the plant from the container, put it in the hole, and press the soil to remove any air pockets.
It’s generally recommended that you backfill with native soil and not add any amendments.
However, good drainage is critical. So if you know your soil is slow draining, amend it with coarse sand or small gravel until you have a loose, well-drained mix.
When to Plant
The best time to plant giant hesperaloe is in April or May since warm soil temperatures encourage root development.
How to Care for Giant Hesperaloe
Whether you’ve recently planted a giant hesperaloe or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water
You’re probably used to giving a plant a good soaking immediately after transplanting, but that isn’t the best practice with desert succulents like giant hesperaloe.
The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum advises not to water succulents for one to two weeks in warm, dry weather or one month in cool, damp weather.
Giant hesperaloe is an extremely hardy desert native that can survive on little-to-no supplemental irrigation once established, but it will grow and flower better with some extra water.
Water every 2 weeks from spring to fall, and every 3 to 4 weeks during the winter.
Should You Fertilize?
There’s no need to fertilize giant hesperaloe, it gets all the nutrients it needs from the surrounding desert soil.
How to Prune
Once a year, you’ll need to remove the spent flower stalks.
Occasionally, you’ll find a few dead lower leaves on this plant that you can remove anytime, but other than that it needs no pruning.
If you find your plant getting too wide for the space, do not shear! You’ll ruin this plant’s beautiful shape and hasten its demise.
Giant Hesperaloe Cultivar
Tucson’s Civano Nursery has recently developed a cultivar with the oxymoronic name ‘Little Giant’ hesperaloe (Hesperaloe funifera ‘Little Giant’). It’s a smaller version that only grows to four feet and has shorter stalks of pink flowers. It looks somewhat like the popular landscape plant hesperaloe (Hesperaloe parviflora).
Plant Lover Facts
Giant hesperaloe (Hesperaloe funifera) is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, and can be found growing in northeastern Mexico and parts of southern Texas.
The genus name Hesperaloe means “western aloe” since it is found in the Western hemisphere and was thought to be aloe-like. (Botanically it is not related to aloes, which are native to the Eastern hemisphere.) Funifera is derived from “funis” which is Latin for rope. This refers to the plant’s strong fibers, which produce paper of exceptional strength that have potential to be used for commercial purposes.
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for over 15 years.
Photo Credits
Fritz Hochstätter, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons