Boasting a tropical appearance and palm-like dark green leaves, yucca plants create a focal point in any room. They are similar in appearance to dragon trees and make excellent standalone floor plants.
Yucca plants are ideal for new plant parents. They are easy to look after and forgiving of a little neglect. However, like all houseplants, they do need some level of care to thrive. Find more on this plant at Prickle.
Light
Yuccas flourish in bright indirect light and can tolerate some direct sunlight (though too much can result in leaf scorch.) A south or west-facing window is ideal for a yucca plant’s light requirements.
A yucca plant grows much slower in lower light conditions, so if you want your plant to thrive, it needs plenty of light and a warm room. Wipe the plant’s leaves with a damp cloth occasionally to remove dust, allow the light in, and aid photosynthesis.
Soil
Yucca plants are native to the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, so they cope well in dry conditions.
Choose a potting soil that is light and well-draining. A succulent or cactus mix is ideal, but your plant will be fine in any general-purpose house plant potting soil as long as it is well-draining. Consider mixing perlite into the soil to improve drainage and aeration, allowing the root system to spread easily.
Watering
Yucca plants are extremely drought-tolerant and don’t require much watering to flourish. They store water in the base of the trunk, and can last a while between drinks. Water sparingly every couple of weeks during spring and summer and less often in autumn and winter. You’re much more likely to kill a yucca plant by over-watering it than by under-watering it.
Only water yucca plants when the top 2-3 inches of soil feel dry. Don’t be afraid to let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Pour water into the top of the pot and allow excess moisture to pour freely away. Discard any drained water from the saucer under the plant. Adequate drainage holes are essential for any yucca pot, as the plants don’t tolerate overly wet or waterlogged soil well.
Because yucca plants are happiest in dry conditions, they don’t need to be misted or placed in a humid environment.
Feeding
Yuccas are relatively undemanding plants and don’t require much feeding. Dilute a liquid fertiliser to half strength and apply every 6-8 weeks during the growing season.
Pruning
Yucca plant care involves minimal pruning. Simply remove dead or damaged leaves and trim the plant to keep it in shape.
If you find your yucca plant is getting too big for its allocated spot, it’s fine to chop the trunk to reduce the plant’s height. Removing the top portion of the plant will remove most, if not all, of the leaves. However, the bare trunk will soon re-sprout, and fresh new foliage will grow into place. The top part of the trunk can be placed into a new pot to propagate into a second yucca plant.
Re-Potting a Yucca Plant
Yucca plants prefer to be slightly pot-bound, so they only need re-potting every couple of years at most. Wait until the roots can be seen growing out the bottom of the pot, and re-pot the plant in spring.
Opt for a sturdy pot to prevent the plant from becoming top-heavy and toppling over, and ensure it has enough good drainage holes to let excess water escape the soil. Fill the bottom of the new pot with well-draining soil and place the plant on top. Enlist someone’s help to hold the plant upright and straight while you fill in the rest of the pot with fresh potting soil.
How to Propagate Yucca Plants
Propagating yuccas is a great way to keep parent plants healthy and create now plants for free.
Offsets
Mature plants produce offsets, or pups, at the base of the trunk. The whitish pups are ready to remove from the parent plant when they turn green.
Use a clean, sharp knife to cut away the offset and place it in a cool, shaded spot to let the cut heal. Place the pup in a pot of well-draining soil and water it well. Given the right conditions, roots will form, and the new plant will start to grow in around 3-4 weeks.
Stem Cuttings
Stem cuttings are another popular way to propagate yuccas and can be used in much the same way as offsets. Cuttings should only be taken from yuccas in spring or early summer. Use secateurs or a sharp knife to cut away part of a stem. Remove the lower leaves and let the stem dry out a little before replanting it.
Place the bottom of the cut stem in a pot of well-draining soil, ensuring no more than half is under soil level. Water it well and keep the plant in bright light until the roots start to grow.
Problem-Solving
While yucca plants are easy to look after, they do sometimes throw up issues that need dealt with to ensure the plant remains happy and healthy.
Brown Leaves
Brown spots on the leaves can be caused by overhead watering. Remember, yuccas are acclimatised to desert conditions and aren’t used to wet leaves. Watering from above the plant can lead to the leaves rotting sand, leaving unsightly brown spots.
Crispy brown leaf tips can be a result of either not enough water or too much fluoride in the water. Wherever possible, use gathered rainwater for watering plants. If you’re using tap water, leave it on the counter overnight to let any additives evaporate before using it to water plants.
Yellow Leaves
Over-watering is the primary cause of yellowing yucca plant leaves. If you notice the affected leaves are dropping too, the plant has likely been watered too much. Check the drainage holes aren’t blocked, and adjust your watering schedule to offer less water less frequently.
Lower yucca leaves naturally turn yellow as they mature and die. These leaves can be pruned from the plant whenever they appear.
White Spots
White leaf spots are a symptom of too much direct sunlight. Move the plant into another bright spot out of full sun.
Growing Yucca Plants Outside
Some yuccas are relatively hardy and can be grown outdoors. Placed in full sun, outdoor yuccas tolerate poor, sandy soil and are just as drought-tolerant as indoor yucca plants. Outdoor yuccas are much more likely to flower than those grown inside, producing tall panicles of creamy-white flowers from summer into autumn.
Types of Yucca Plants
There are over 40 types of yucca plants in the world, each with their own plant care needs. Here’s the lowdown on some of the most common varieties.
Spanish Bayonet (Yucca aloifolia)
This half-hardy yucca plant may survive UK winters in milder coastal parts of the country. Elsewhere, yucca aloifolia needs to be moved inside for the winter. The long, toothed leaves end in a sharp point – hence the name – so keep it away from walkways to help prevent scratches and scrapes from spiny leaves.
Spineless Yucca/Yucca Cane (Yucca elephantipes)
Also known as Yucca guatamalensis or Yucca gigantea, spineless yucca is perhaps the most commonly grown yucca houseplant in the UK. Yucca cane plants are slow growers that don’t need to be re-potted often and won’t outgrow their designated spot quickly.
Spanish Dagger (Yucca gloriosa)
Spanish dagger is the perfect yucca for growing outside. It can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C and the occasional snowfall. However, young plants should be grown in a container and moved indoors over winter until they are hardy enough to stay outside.
Growing yucca plants is easy if you remember the key – mimic their native environment. Keep your yucca in bright light, water sparingly, and feed every few weeks. Doing these things helps keep your yuccas happy and healthy plants you can enjoy for years to come.