Woody Lilies are long lived xeric plants native to Canada, the US and Mexico and are of the genera Yucca, Agave, Hesperaloe, Dasylirion, Nolina, Beschorneria, Hemiphylacus and Manfreda. The woody lily is so named because many resemble, and were once classified as, lilies even though they have no bulbs. Mexico has the greatest diversity of woody lilies on the planet. Being the center of distribution, it is thus the origin of the great majority of the woody lily collection at the garden, most of which were collected during expeditions to Mexico. Many others were collected from the southwestern US, and a few were grown from purchased seed, from tissue culture, or purchased from nurseries. The dry gardens at The John Fairey Garden, laid out in the early 1990s, were seminal to the field of landscape design because of their success in evoking strong feelings from visitors as they walked the winding paths around and through the dry gardens. John placed a heavy emphasis on spiny and grass-like textures separated by space, with pea gravel and river rock strewn below. He composed the dry gardens with an eye toward texture, scale, shape, the effects of the wind, and color, choosing woody lilies for their silvery-blue hues – which John noted provided a psychologically cooling effect in the hot Texas summer – their unique tropical appearance, and for their ability to survive the wet freezing winters of the Houston area. John’s highly innovative combinations of color and texture have inspired countless gardeners not just in Texas but far beyond.