Yuccas are striking plants that make a strong impact in the landscape. Flowers are commonly white and held on strong stems well above the foliage. Plants must be carefully sited so that passers-by are not accidentally stabbed by the sharp-pointed leaves.
Full Sun to Full Shade
Low Watering
Well-Drained Soil
Plant Anytime of Year
The spineless (Yucca elephantipes) - in both its plain and variegated forms, has become popular for its architectural shape and its versatility – it can be used both indoors and out, grows to 8m tall in its natural habitat but in home gardens closer to 1.5 - 3 m high.
Yucca whipplei – known as 'Our Lord's Candle' grows into a large rosette of very stiff blue-green leaves that after many years bears white flowers.
Yucca filamentosa – known as 'Adam's Needle' is widely grown, especially its yellow or white-margined varieties. It rarely grows more than 1 m high.
Yucca aloifolia – known as the 'Spanish Bayonet', which reaches 8 m high.
Yucca brevifolia – known as the 'Joshua Tree' from the southwestern United States, can grow to 12m tall.
Ideally spring is the best time to prune and take cuttings from your Yucca. You will need clean, sharp shears or secateurs to prune your plant.
Cuttings are best taken from mature wood. After you take the cutting, remove the lower leaves leaving a few leaves at the top. This will reduce moisture loss from the plant while it is growing new roots. Allow the cutting to dry out for a couple of days in a dry shady spot before potting up. Use Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter.
This will allow the roots to establish easily. In spring the cuttings will develop roots in about 4 weeks. You will need to stake the cuttings to prevent them from falling over. Once the cuttings have established a sufficient root ball, you can then plant them out in the spot where you choose.
Regularly remove spent leaves and flowers. Plants that grow too tall can have their trunks pruned. This will stimulate new branches to form. Anywhere that a trunk is removed, should multi-branch from where it has been pruned. Ideally prune on an angle so that the water doesn't pool on top and rot the top.
Yucca can be grown in all-day sun, part shade, or indoors - position in a very brightly lit room.
Can be propagated. Take stem cuttings, with leaves removed from the lower 300mm and allow to dry out (in a cool place out of direct sunlight) before planting. They will take up to 6 months to establish. Strike cuttings in Spring to Summer. Plants can also be grown from suckers or from seed.
Yuccas have strong root systems that can push nearby soil and structures as they grow. They are not recommended to grow in narrow garden beds, especially near pools and driveways where concrete can be pushed up. Make sure you give them plenty of space, and note that a Yucca is very difficult to remove once it is mature.
Black spots on Yucca leaves may be a fungal problem. Too much water (excessive watering or rainfall) and poor drainage can cause this to happen.
If your soil is made up of clay, improve the drainage by incorporating Yates Gypsum Clay Breaker Soil Improver Granules, and forking it in well. Reduce watering and remove the worse affected leaves. Yuccas are pretty tough, so are likely to recover from issues like this once the conditions improve.
