Looks much more like Cordyline than Yucca but will know for sure once its fully open.

they look like the flowers of my purple Phormium!

Are the flowers on that white when they open though, Youngdaisydee? And fragrant? Dorjac posted an earlier pic showing some of the basal leaves, which looked, in the photo anyway, much too stiff and regular to be Phormium.

Ahhhh, i didn't see the other pic Bamboo, sorry.. Ill go look :)

Anyway, Phormium and Cordyline flowers do look similar - but Cordyline ones are white and fragrant when opened out, Phormium flowers are usually brownish.

Yeah, I would say Cordyline, I used to cut the flowers off my Cordy (before it died) They arent as beautifull as i thought they would be :)))

I agree, apart from the fragrance, not much to look at, unlike Yucca flowers, which are worth keeping.

Actually, looking at this picture, and the previous one, it looks like a Yucca recurvifolia. Cordyline flowers are usually much smaller and densely packed on the cluster branches, and the leaves are normally narrower, with more prominent midribs. Y. recurvifolia is frost hardy, develops a short trunk, and the bell-shaped flowers often retain a purplish stain as they open.

I'm reserving final judgement till they're fully out - don't look as if they're going to quite dense enough to me, but I'll wait and see. Hopefully you can post another pic when its in full fig, Dorjac.

I'd agree with Tug - this looks to be Yucca recurvata.

I wouldn't be surprised, think that's probably right - but still await new pic in a few days, lol!

also agree with Tugbrethil...definitely Yucca...and defer to her knowledge of the species, regarding which it is...

Thanks to all of you for your answers. I have a feeling that Yuccas, once they have dug in, are there for the duration. It seems the highly popular Cordyline is much more vulnerable, judging by the number of sad postings in questions about possible losses.

Hi Dorjac, it looks very much like the Yucca in my neighbour's garden which has withstood the last 2 bad winters in a very exposed postion. The flower heads on my Cordyline aren't like this, they're more of collection of tiny flowers. Also this plant looks as if it's not very tall, I thought Cordylines didn't flower till they're a fair bit taller than this appears to be?

You're right there, Dorjac - Yuccas have come through largelyunscathed, whereas the poor old Cordylines have really suffered, although the purple leaved ones are more vulnerable than the plain green.