Yucca aloifolia

Native to the southeastern United States, central and southern Mexico, and Bermuda, this evergreen shrub or small tree belongs to the asparagus family and usually grows 10 to 15 feet tall. It tolerates drought and salt spray. Rigid, sword-shaped leaves have sharp tips. Fragrant, cream-white, bell-shaped flowers hang in large upright clusters. New shoots develop after flowering, and fallen stems can root to form clumps. Its leaf fibers have been used for rope and string, and its roots for soap. It has naturalized in South Africa. Photographed in Colombia.