Yucca Plants for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on December 2, 2021

Planting instructions

Yucca is grown both indoors and out. Some varieties thrive down to USDA hardiness zone 3, but most like warmer weather. If you are planting your Yucca outside, site it where it will get full sun to part shade, check the tag on your plant to see what the light recommendations are for your variety. Yucca can handle just about any type of soil but it does not like wet feet, so plant in an area that drains well.

Dig a hole for your plant that is as deep and twice as wide as the root ball and place the plant in the hole so it is at the same level as it was in the nursery pot. Fill in around the root ball with soil, tamping it down frequently to avoid air pockets. Water thoroughly when done and add an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone. If planting indoors, make sure the container you choose has enough room for the roots to grow and follow the same directions.

Watering and nutrients

Water your Yucca with about one inch of water a week until it is established and putting forth new growth. After that, it will only need supplemental watering in the worst drought conditions.

Your outdoor Yucca does not need much in the way of nutrients but if you want to encourage growth you can feed it a half-strength solution of balanced fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Your indoor Yucca is more in need of regular fertilizing during summer, using a slow-release product designed for houseplants.

Pollination

Most Yuccas are monoecious, meaning that male and female flower parts are found on a single plant. They are pollinated by insects such as the Yucca moth and develop seed pods with small, black seeds late in the season. If you do not want seedlings cropping up around your Yucca, it is best to prune the flower stalk after the flowers have wilted.

Pruning

To prune a Yucca, you will need to wear long, thick, gloves as the leaves can be very sharp. In spring, cut back the dead leaves from around the base of the plant. This is natural and has no cause for concern. They will not hurt the plant but are unsightly. You can cut out the central stalk higher up after the plant flowers, this may take a saw as it can be thick. If you have a variety such as Yucca aloifolia that grows quite tall, it can be cut back to control growth in early spring and will resprout from the cut point.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Yucca plants grown inside may experience typical houseplant pests such as aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites. These can be dealt with by wiping down the leaves with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Outdoor pests include agave plant bugs and the Yucca weevil. Keep your Yuccas healthy to avoid leaving them susceptible to infestation.

Your Yucca may experience bacterial or fungal diseases such as Cercospora and Coniothyrium, both of which cause black spots on the leaves. Treat diseases such as these with leaf washing when possible, good soil maintenance, and spraying of a fungicide when necessary.

Achieving maximum results

The Yucca family has many varieties and often two varieties will have completely different care requirements, so it pays to educate yourself when you purchase a young Yucca plant. One thing common to all varieties is that they do not like soggy soil, especially if they are grown at the northern end of their range.

Another factor to consider is that Yuccas are large plants that can grow as tall as 30 feet and 25 feet wide. When choosing a location for your Yucca, be aware of its size when fully grown. It is also good to site Yuccas far from driveways and sidewalks, as the sword-like leaves have sharp edges that can hurt bare legs and arms.