How To Grow And Care For Yuccas

Yucca plants add drama wherever they are planted. These low-maintenance and water-wise plants add texture and form to any garden. They thrive in full sun, easily embracing heat and drought, and positively shine in a xeric garden. Plus, they're evergreen.

With over 50 yucca varieties, you can choose from short or tall, wide or skinny leaves, and flexible semi-soft or rigid leaves. They only need minimal pruning and deadheading. Damaged leaves can be cleaned up and removed at any time

Yuccas bloom in spring or summer, depending on the type. Flower stalks emerge from the center of the rosette, and some grow up to 12 feet tall. Bell-like blooms of creamy white with a range of delicate pastel hues line the panicles. A common misconception is that yuccas die after blooming, like many agaves. Most are polycarpic, flowering repeatedly through their life cycle. 

Yuccas are also a great source of nectar pollinators, like hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and bees.  

Plant Attributes

Care

Yuccas are heat- and drought-tolerant and content in the hottest summer sun. These xeric evergreen shrubs are low-maintenance, tolerate various well-draining soils, and require almost no pruning.   

Light 

Yuccas thrive and perform best in full sun.

Soil

Yuccas grow in rocky, sandy, dry soil in their native habitats. They will be perfectly happy in the landscape with poor, slightly alkaline soil as long as if it is well-draining.

Water 

Yuccas store water in their trunks or bases. They flourish in drought when most other plants struggle and wilt.  Once established, they are excellent water-wise garden additions.  

Temperature and Humidity 

Yuccas are tolerant of extreme heat and both dry and humid conditions.

Fertilize 

Yuccas are happiest when neglected. Fertilizing isn’t necessary, but, like any plant, it can benefit from occasional all-purpose fertilizer or liquid seaweed.

Types of Yucca 

There are 40 species of yucca with multiple varieties, subspecies, cultivars, and hybrids from which to choose.  

Yucca filamentosa variegata ‘color guard’

Gold and cream striped variegated leaves covered in hundreds of curling white hairs make a dramatic garden focal point. This variety brightens in mid-summer, growing to six feet tall and three feet wide.

Yucca aloifolia

Also commonly known as Spanish bayonet, this sharpshooter should be planted far away from walkways or commonly used areas. A tall, thin variety, this yucca reaches 15 to 20 feet tall and is covered with stiff, serrated leaves and razor-sharp points. Gardener beware!

Yucca rostrata

Statuesque and graceful, beaked yucca, Yucca rostrata, makes a stunning focal point. At five to 12 ft. tall, this coveted plant is a slow grower.

Yucca rupicola

Twistleaf yucca is a lighter color than most yuccas. Twisted around in various directions, this yucca’s pale green leaves appear to be moving in the breeze. A small, softer variety, this plant grows two ft tall by two ft wide.

Yucca recurvifolia

The unique soft, blue-green leaves of this large yucca are bent toward the ground and seem almost delicate compared to some other varieties. A large two ft to five-bloom stalk profuse with flowers emerges from this yucca each year.

Pruning

To maintain your yucca, cut off damaged leaves along the bottom of the plant close to the stem at any time. Do not prune the tips. Leaves only grow from the stem, not leaf ends.

Trunked yucca leaves will turn brown as the top of the tree grows new leaves. It’s a matter of personal preference if you want to leave the skirt of brown leaves along the trunk or cut them off to the base of the trunk. If a trunked yucca grows too tall, you can top it and it will regrow from that point. The top can also be replanted, and it will root. Spent flower stocks can be cut at that base when they die.

Propagating  

Yuccas produce offsets—new plants along the base or near the base of the mother plant. They grow from underground rhizomes. The easiest propagation methods are digging up offsets and root cuttings. 

1. Cut off a shoot with a ¼ inch stem. 
2. Allow the cutting to harden off and form a callus for several days in a cool, dry place. 
3. Plant in well-draining soil, it should take root in about three to four weeks.

How to Grow from Seed 

After blooming, yuccas produce seed pods all along the bloom stem. To plant the seeds:

1. Allow them to develop on the stem until they dry out completely. The pod contains small, flat black seeds. 
2. Remove the seeds and soak them in water for 24 hours to soften the outer shell, or scarify the seeds by rubbing them with sandpaper. 
3. Plant into a well-draining mix and keep moderately moist for a few weeks until seedlings come up. 
4. Transplant into a bigger pot or the ground once they are firmly rooted.

Overwintering 

No overwintering necessary.

Common Pests and Diseases

Common problems include aphids, mealybugs and scale. If caught early, these pests may be managed with strong water spray or neem oil. 

The most devastating pest affecting yuccas is the yucca weevil, S. yuccae. Weevil larvae tunnel into the crown of the plant, killing it. Once the plant begins to decline and the damage is visible, it will be too late to manage. Once infested, immediately remove infected plant and nearby soil. Systemic insecticides can be used before plants are infested to prevent potential issues. However, this will require removing bloom stalks before they bloom as the system will poison any pollinators attracted to the blooms.

Overwatering or planting in poorly draining soil can lead to fungal disease and root rot.  

Common Problems 

Yuccas don’t like wet feet. As xeric plants, they need to be planted with other water-wise plants.  Yuccas placed in beds with plants that require more water can lead to decline.