The Spineless Yucca (Yucca elephantipes) is a good indoor houseplant. So… how do we keep it looking good all year long?
Bright Light works Great
First, it needs lots of bright light however, if it has been indoors with low light it needs to slowly acclimate to direct sunlight. It does not mind being moved around from room to room. It only needs water about once per week even less so during the winter season.
It needs to be fed about once every 2-3 months or so and you should use houseplant fertilizer at about half the recommended ratio. Long green soft pointy leaves make it an ideal indoor plant. Cactus juice will work fine with this plant.
It will also do well in your outdoor garden providing you live where it never freezes. The spinless Yucca is native to Mexico where it will grow up to 30ft. tall outdoors also in the lower elevations of South California, Arizona, and Deep down Southwest Texas.
Size and growth rate
It will grow up to 30ft. tall and the fronds about 8ft. wide. A moderate grower of about 6″ per year. It does produce a white showy flower but mainly if it is outdoors. See the image below. However, its size is much smaller when indoors in cooler climate zones.
Problems with this plant
If the leaves on this plant start to turn yellow it is possible you are over-watering it. Let the soil dry out before watering again. And be sure that your container is draining correctly. Flip the plant over (be careful not to let the plant fall out) and check to see if the drainage hole is not plugged up.
It is also prone to root rot, usually from too much watering. Use cactus soil or mix to help combat overwatering.
Mealybugs and sometimes aphids will attack this plant. Keep your eye on white cottony insects usually between the stem and the leaves.
USDA zone 9-11
More Yucca information at – Yucca’s for Landscaping.
Spinless Yucca on Wikipedia
