Native to southeastern U.S., northern Mexico. Form is erect to about 20' tall. Leaves are light green, grasslike, with little threads curling along the edges. They are sharply pointed, 2" long, 1/2" wide. Old leaves hang down along the trunk, creating a straw-colored thatch. White bell-shaped flowers grow in a dense cluster on a slender stem at the apex, 6' or higher.