Yucca Growing Guide
Yucca filamentosa
![Yucca]()
Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous ●
Soil
Any well drained soil.
Position
Full sun to partial shade.
Frost tolerant
Yes, flowering yucca can tolerate winter cold to -29°C (-20°F).
Feeding
None needed. Yucca develops a deep, extensive root system.
Spacing
Single Plants: 60cm (1' 11") each way (minimum)
Rows: 60cm (1' 11") with 60cm (1' 11") row gap (minimum)
Sow and Plant
Yuccas can be grown from seeds collected from wild plants, but germination is often erratic, and seedlings need up to four years to grow to blooming size. Planting container-grown plants, or offsets dug from an existing clump, gives a much faster start. Yuccas with variegated leaves are vegetatively propagated and must be started from plants. Yuccas need less water than other perennial flowers.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Notes
With their pointed, sword-shaped leaves and spikes of white flowers, yuccas are strong texture plants that are excellent for marking borders or deterring foot traffic. The summer flowers attract pollinators and hummingbirds. Yucca will grow on dry slopes where other perennials fail. Flowering yucca is native to North America where it often forms small roadside colonies.
Harvesting
When the flowering scape withers, many gardeners like to cut it off with long-handled loppers to make the plants look neat and to prevent the formation of seeds. Deprived of their seed-making mission, yuccas respond by growing offsets, which eventually form a more robust clump. Always wear heavy gloves and long sleeves when working around yucca as a defense against its sharp points and leaf edges.
Troubleshooting
Yucca has few pest problems and is of no interest to deer or rabbits.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar
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