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Last week I shared a few of my favorite yellow variegated plants, the soft ones. The ones that don’t want to draw blood or poke your eye out. This week stand back, grab a band-aid and (hopefully) enjoy as we look at the spikes…

This gorgeous Agave lophantha was a gift from a fellow Agave-addict, Gerhard. It was a pup from his plant, and just a year into living here, in my garden, I see it’s already sending out four pups at it’s base. You’ve got to love a plant that makes you more free plants.
Agave lophantha

I believe the difference is between Agave lophantha and Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’ is that on quadricolor the edges are a lovely pinkish red, which intensifies in the winter.
Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'

Agave americana ‘Variegata’, the “gold standard”…
Agave americana 'Variegata'

Thanks to my brother who lives in Arizona I’ve got almost a dozen of these, but this is the biggest.
Agave americana 'Variegata' close-up

Agave desmettiana ‘Joe Hoak’ – he’s looking a little droopy. Must look into that!
Agave ‘Joe Hoak’

Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata’, my oldest Agave. It’s spent its 12 years with me in a container. I keep wondering when/if it will bloom.
Agave desmettiana 'Variegata'

Echinocactus grusonii, surely those yellow spikes count as a sort of variegation?
Echinocactus grusonii

But I suppose I’m pushing it to call the glochids on the Opuntia microdasys variegation? Nah!…
Opuntia microdasys

Think a Phormium isn’t spiky? Tell that to my right eye. I stabbed it with the tip of a phormium leaf and tore into the tissue. It took years to heal, every morning after opening my eyes I would unconsciously  rub them and bam! Sticky morning eyes would tear away the newly formed tissue covering the divot. Be careful out there in the garden!
Phormium NOID

I do wish I could tell you which Phormium this is, maybe P. ‘Yellow Wave’ or P. ‘Apricot Queen’?
Phormium NOID close-up

On to the Yuccas! Yucca aloifolia ‘Variegata’, or at least that’s what I was told when I purchased it.
Yucca aloifolia

It really doesn’t get any easier than Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’.
Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’

Luckily I love them.
Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’ close-up

This was a big box store purchase that was mislabeled. I think we’ve decided it’s Yucca gloriosa ‘Variegata’.
Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata'

Yucca recurvifolia ‘Margaritaville’, this one bloomed the first year I had it, but never since. What’s up with that?
Yucca recurvifolia 'Margaritaville'

So…what are your favorite yellow variegated plants? Spiky or soft…
Yucca recurvifolia 'Margaritaville' close-up