Yucca gigantea
Yucca elephantipes, Yucca guatemalensis, Yucca Cane, Spineless Yucca, Giant Yucca
Central America | Tropical (semi-aird)
Spiky sword-like blades burst out from the tops of chunky cane-like branches on these unique indoor trees. Sometimes mistaken for a type of palm, these striking houseplants are slow growers that will nevertheless take up quite a bit of space—the perfect anchor for a bright corner in your home.
arid or semi-arid, easy going, bright indirect, drought tolerant, great heights, compact, upright, floor, tree or tree-like, tropical, ribbon-like
Water thoroughly when soil is about 50% to entirely dry. Avoid overwatering at all costs. Watering may be even less frequent during winter months or in less light.
Primarily plenty of bright, indirect light with a few hours of direct light is ideal for a happy, thriving Yucca.
While not too bothered about high humidity, your Yucca will appreciate the occasional misting, which helps remove dust from their leaves.
Loves the heat! Will do most of their growth in temps over 70°F. Can tolerate lower temperatures, but will not grow as much.
Yucca leaves are mildly toxic to pets and humans. Ingestion will cause mouth and stomach irritation and possible vomiting.
Indoors, this plant can grow up to around 6-8 ft tall with a 2-3 ft spread (when mature and with enough light)!
Generally in an upright tree-like formation of cane-like trunks and sets of 3-4 stubby branches that emerge from those straight trunks (through pruning). The foliage emerges in tufts or bursts from the tops of each branch. Works best on the floor or a plant stand.
Long, flat spear or sword shaped leaves. These relatively stiff leaves grow in tightly bundled bursts.
While not likely to happen indoors, this Yucca can produce an edible flower, known as the izote, which is used extensively in Salvadoran cuisine and is the national flower of El Salvador. Generally only the petals are eaten as the centers (anthers and ovaries) can taste bitter. The petals have a firm crunchy texture and are said to taste mildly sweet, faintly reminiscent of an artichoke or maybe a green bean.
Water
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Allow half of soil to dry out before watering again.
Water thoroughly when soil is about 50% to entirely dry. Avoid overwatering at all costs. Watering may be even less frequent during winter months or in less light.
Light
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Bright, indirect to direct light.
Primarily plenty of bright, indirect light with a few hours of direct light is ideal for a happy, thriving Yucca.
Humidity
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Not too concerned by humidity levels.
While not too bothered about high humidity, your Yucca will appreciate the occasional misting, which helps remove dust from their leaves.
Temperature
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Enjoys warmer temps.
Loves the heat! Will do most of their growth in temps over 70°F. Can tolerate lower temperatures, but will not grow as much.
Toxicity
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Mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested.
Yucca leaves are mildly toxic to pets and humans. Ingestion will cause mouth and stomach irritation and possible vomiting.
Size
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A popular plant for those seeking a larger specimen.
Indoors, this plant can grow up to around 6-8 ft tall with a 2-3 ft spread (when mature and with enough light)!
Format
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Upright tree-like formation.
Generally in an upright tree-like formation of cane-like trunks and sets of 3-4 stubby branches that emerge from those straight trunks (through pruning). The foliage emerges in tufts or bursts from the tops of each branch. Works best on the floor or a plant stand.
Leaf Shape
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Flat spears in bright green.
Long, flat spear or sword shaped leaves. These relatively stiff leaves grow in tightly bundled bursts.
Fun Fact
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Produces an edible flower!
While not likely to happen indoors, this Yucca can produce an edible flower, known as the izote, which is used extensively in Salvadoran cuisine and is the national flower of El Salvador. Generally only the petals are eaten as the centers (anthers and ovaries) can taste bitter. The petals have a firm crunchy texture and are said to taste mildly sweet, faintly reminiscent of an artichoke or maybe a green bean.
Thrives in an airy, light, fast-draining potting mix—you can use a good quality potting mix labeled for succulents/cactus or supplement a standard indoor mix with an equal quantity of pumice or horticultural grit. Ensure the pot has the appropriate drainage and don't forget to pour out any excess water collected in the drainage tray or cachepot.
Try to repot every 2-3 years in the spring, especially when tending to a younger plant. Increase the pot size by about 2 inches each time. Once mature and becoming unwieldily to maneuver—you can reduce your repotting frequency and switch to a routine of refreshing just the top few inches of soil. More on repotting here.
If you're not already planning to repot, you can fertilize during the spring and summer months. Once to every two months should be plenty. No fertilizer is necessary during the winter when plant growth naturally slows down. You can try a balanced liquid or water-soluble fertilizer—always diluted more than the recommended strength. More on using fertilizer here.
While no specific pruning is required for this plant, it's always good practice to regularly remove yellowed or dying leaves and any fallen plant debris. You can simply pluck these leaves from the base, but if you choose to use snips or pruners, ensure they are sanitized to avoid spreading disease or pests. If you're dealing with browning leaf tips and have resolved the underlying issue (usually humidity or water type), you can carefully trim these tips back if the look bothers you. More on grooming techniques here.
For a Yucca, you can propagate through a stem or stub cutting. If you pruned a leggy plant, you can try both methods by first cutting off a few small 2-4 inch sections off the bottom of the bare stem, making sure to leave a decent section on the top (or apex) with the tuft of leaves. With the top piece, remove the lower leaves to ensure a clear stem before rooting in water or another medium. With the small chunks of stem, you can simply lay them horizontally in potting mix, only pushing them into the soil about halfway. Soon these stub cuttings will take root and leaves will sprout! With either method, once the roots are a few inches long you can pot up your new Yucca. More on propagation techniques here.
Slow or no new growth. Possibly accompanied by pale new growth.
This is most likely due to insufficient light. Yucca are accustomed to receiving plenty of sunlight. Unlike most houseplants, they can generally withstand multiple hours of direct sun every day, something they'll be craving especially during the winter months.
Improve the lighting conditions for your Yucca to thrive. These plants prefer plenty of bright, indirect light along with a bit of direct light. Make sure to adjust your watering to accommodate the increased light.
One or multiple stalks feel a bit soft and may be starting to yellow or brown.
This is a sure sign of persistent overwatering. The root rot has spread and led to stem rot as well.
You will have to cut back any stems with signs of rot. To avoid further spread, you should also take a peak at the roots by removing the plant entirely from their container. If there are any black and mushy roots, trim them back completely before repotting with fresh soil in a new or sterilized container.
You may be able to propagate some of the cut stems if the rot has not yet spread to the top of the plant.
Dark brown spots, or areas, that may be in the middle of a leaf or on the edges. These spots tend to be larger areas with an irregular edge, not a nice neat circular shape. They may also look “wet” or saturated in the middle.
These spots are usually the sign of a fungal leaf spot disease. These kinds of diseases often go hand-in-hand with overwatering or an overly damp environment, which weakens your plants and makes them more susceptible to disease.
The first step is to isolate the plant to avoid spread to your other plants. Then, prune or pinch off the affected leaves. Make sure to be diligent in your removal of any fallen plant debris from the soil. Most diseases thrive off humid environments, so it's best to stop misting or providing additional humidity for your plant (for now). You may even try switching to bottom watering to ensure you don't get any moisture on the leaves. Finally, a regimen of neem oil could be in order, focusing on a soil soak rather than spraying the leaves (at least in the initial treatment phase).
Once you've removed the infected leaves, the disease should drastically slow its spread. Make sure that you keep the leaves dry and check them regularly. If you see any symptoms return, remove those leaves as well and continue your treatments.
Leaves turning brown just on the edges or tips. These edges may gradually change from yellow to brown, crispy, and possibly a bit curled.
Browning just on the edges of tips is usually a reaction to low humidity. Since many of our houseplants have tropical origins, they also thrive in humid conditions. Our average indoor humidity is usually adequate, but some plants are simply more sensitive to changes in humidity than others. You may notice this more acutely when conditions are particularly dry—like when you turn on the heater in winter.
Try to accommodate your plant's needs by locating them in more naturally humid places, like the bathroom or kitchen, or grouping a bunch of humidity-loving plants together. But the only way to truly guarantee increased humidity is to get a humidifier!
Once you've addressed the problem: If the brown tips bother you, you can trim them back. Do your best to follow the shape of the leaf to help them look natural. Also, try to cut just short of the discolored edge so it doesn’t expand.
