Yucca

La Yucca It is one of the favorite plants to plant in succulent gardens, especially cacti. It resists drought extraordinarily well, I would even dare to affirm that they need less water than any Echinocactus or Agave to name some of the genera that require less irrigation.

There are different species, and although they all have many things in common, it is advisable to know them because there are types that exceed 5 meters, and others that will hardly reach 2 meters. What's more, If you want to have a low or no maintenance garden, you will be interested in knowing how they are cared for, right? 

Origin and characteristics of the Yucca

Yucca are succulent plants native to North and Central America that they are characterized by having leathery, flat or convex, green or dark green, sword-shaped leaves growing in rosettes. The flowers are grouped in clusters and are white, appearing during spring-summer. They are bisexual, with the appearance of a bell or a globe depending on the species. The fruit can be indehiscent, fleshy, pulpy or spongy, and inside it contains numerous highly compressed seeds.

Although the same name is used, they should not be confused with cassava or edible cassava, whose scientific name is manihot esculenta. It grows as a perennial shrub about 2 meters high, and is native to the tropical regions of America.

Main species

The best known are:

yucca aloifolia

Known as yuca pinchona, Spanish bayonet or yuca pinchuda, it is a shrub native to North and Central America that reaches between 2 and 6 meters in height. Its leaves are lanceolate, between 50 and 75cm long, green or variegated (green with yellow margins)

It produces white flowers in clusters from spring to autumn, after which the fruits appear that are black and measure about 10 centimeters.

Resists up to -5ºC.

yucca elephantipes

Known as elephant foot yucca, it is native to Central and North America. It can reach 10 meters in height, although when cultivated it rarely exceeds 5 meters. The leaves are lanceolate, about 60-80cm long, green or variegated.

The flowers are white and are grouped in hanging clusters of up to 2 meters in length; and the fruits are black.

Resists up to -3ºC.

stringy yucca

It is a native plant of the United States that reaches a maximum height of 1 meter. Its leaves are lanceolate, blue-tinged green, linear, about 50 centimeters long, and sprout from an underground rhizome.

The flowers are white or pink and sprout in clusters. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule that contains black seeds.

Resists up to -5ºC.

Glorious yucca

Known as Spanish dagger, Peruvian chamagra, Cuban hawthorn or Shiny Yucca, it is a native plant of North America that grows between 0,5 and 3 meters in height. Its leaves are lanceolate, green or dark green, up to 50cm long.

The flowers are white, rarely tinged with purple or red, and are grouped in clusters. The fruit is indehiscent, brown in color and with black seeds.

Resists up to -5ºC.

yucca rostrata

It is a plant native to the southern United States and northern Mexico that reaches a height of 4,5 meters. The leaves are very thin and long, arising from a symmetrical bluish rosette.

The flowers are white, and are grouped in clusters. And the fruit is an indehiscent capsule with small seeds inside.

Resists up to -5ºC.

What are the care they require?

If you dare to have a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:

Location

They are plants that must be outdoors, in full sun.

Earth

• Flower pot: mix universal culture substrate with perlite or similar at 50%.
• Garden: Yucca grow in soils with neutral or limestone pH, with good drainage.

Irrigation

escaso. To give you an idea, I can tell you that I have a Yucca aloifolia in the garden and I never water it. I live in Mallorca, in an area with temperatures of 38ºC in summer and down to -1,5ºC in winter, and about 350mm of precipitation are recorded per year. I only watered it very occasionally the first year, but from the second year on… I have left it to its own devices and the truth is that it is growing very well.

I bought it in 2016 when it was about 70cm tall, and in 2019 it is already almost 2 meters tall. So if you live in an area with a similar climate, don't water it too much if you have it in the ground  .

Another thing would be if you had it in a pot, then you would have to water it regularly. But even so, depending on the climate with one or two irrigations per week in summer and with one every ten or fifteen days the rest of the year could be more than enough.

Subscriber

It is not necessary, unless you have it in a pot in which case it will appreciate a regular contribution of fertilizer for succulents (for sale No products found.).

Multiplication

The Yucca multiplies by seeds or cuttings in spring-summer. Let's see how to proceed in each case:

Seeds

You have to plant them in pots with quality cactus substrate (like this one they sell No products found.), and bury them with a very thin layer of soil. Then, water conscientiously and place the seedbed outside, in semi-shade.

They will germinate in about 15 days.

Cuttings

You can easily multiply it by semi or woody cuttings, cutting a branch of about 30 centimeters, impregnating the base with rooting hormones and then planting it in a pot with vermiculite. Thus, and placing it in semi-shadow, will root after about 20 days.

Planting or transplanting time

In spring, when the risk of frost has passed.

If you have it in a pot, transplant it every 2-3 years.

Plagues and diseases

They are very resistant, but in dry and hot environments they can have mealybugs, which can be removed with diatomaceous earth (for sale No products found.).

When they are watered excessively or their leaves get wet, spots may appear on them caused by fungi. In that case, you have to control the irrigation, do not wet more than the earth when you water it, and treat with a copper-based fungicide.

Rusticity

It depends on the species, but in general between -3 and -5ºC.

What uses are given to Yucca?

They are used as ornamental plants, in low or no maintenance gardens. Once they have been in the ground for some time, they withstand drought well, and since they are beautiful ... they look great in any sunny corner.

What do you think of these plants?