How to Grow and Care for Spineless Yucca

If you aren’t sure which variety you are looking at, Y. aloifolia has narrow leaves that gradually taper to a sharp point, where as Y. elephantipes has wider sword shaped leaves that arch slightly. Which ever type you have, the care requirements are the same for each.

Yucca Elephantipes (Spineless Yucca / Stick Yucca)

Yucca’s are both indoor and outdoor plants. In fact when a lot of people hear the word Yucca they think about one of the many garden varieties which have dramatic clusters of white bell like flowers during Summer. However it’s also a popular modern houseplant.

Although all varieties are easy enough to grow, there is generally only one popular variety grown as an indoor plant these days and that is Y. elephantipes, we would strongly advise giving any plant labeled Y. aloifolia a miss.

Did You Know?
It has only started to become popular as an indoor plant quite recently, in fact if you have any old houseplant books laying around it’s quite normal not to find it mentioned at all.

The nickname given to Y. aloifolia is “Spanish Bayonet” and if that wasn’t enough of a clue as to why it doesn’t belong indoors, here in plain English is why you don’t want it in your home; the leaves are razor sharp!

Accidentally brushing past without clothes on (it’s been known to happen trust us) or leaning into Y. aloifolia can be pretty painful to say the least. Fortunately Y. elephantipes commonly known as the “Stick Yucca” or as it should now make more sense; the “Spineless Yucca” doesn’t have razor sharp leaves.

A mature Yucca is bold and striking with straight angular edges, it looks very fitting in modern homes. Whereas younger, smaller plants will suit the majority of homes

The leaves of Y. elephantipes while not overly sharp still have a pointed end, so you should still take care. The wide sword shaped leaves are also pretty tough, you won’t for example be able to rip them with your fingers and while such hardy greenery might please claw happy cat owners, they may enjoy using the bare “trunk” as a scratching post instead.

If you aren’t sure which variety you are looking at, Y. aloifolia has narrow leaves that gradually taper to a sharp point, where as Y. elephantipes has wider sword shaped leaves that arch slightly. Which ever type you have, the care requirements are the same for each.

It’s common to buy a Yucca which has been grown from a special “log” or stem, after potting it up, the new green growth emerges out of the top of this stem and the roots grow out of the bottom and into the soil. It can look a lot like a miniature palm tree, or in some cases a Dragon Tree (Dracaena).

The leathery like leaves arch and will eventually yellow and fall off, replaced by the new top growth, this gradually increases the height of the plant. The exposed trunk is certainly attractive by itself but a tall plant can lose its appeal by appearing “leggy”, and this is why its normal to find several Yucca’s in a pot all of different sizes to negate this future “leggy” effect.

A mature Yucca is bold and striking with straight angular edges, it looks very fitting in modern minimalist homes as a stand alone specimen plant.

The smaller, younger Yucca’s (which would suit the majority of homes style wise) are relatively cheap, and easily found. However the taller branched or pots containing multiple plants at different heights are considerably more in price and significantly harder to get hold of.

We’ve learnt a bit about the plant so lets dive into the Care instructions, which if you follow will keep your Yucca in great condition and health.

If you’re like me and enjoy the challenge of growing houseplants and getting them to thrive, then Ourhouseplants can help. This website shares my knowledge and years of growing plants and provides (hopefully) helpful advice on properly caring for your indoor plant friends.

Yucca Photos

Yucca Care Guide

Light

The Yucca plant is one garden and houseplant which will be quite happy with as much sun as you can give it. Indoors a South facing window would be the first choice. Whatever your light situation try to provide as much as possible.

Less bright conditions will slow growth considerably (which may be an advantage) however very shady and dark spots must be avoided to maintain a healthy looking plant.

Watering

Water your Yucca liberally during warmer months of the year. Like all plants it’s impossible to give rigid watering intervals, but if conditions are exceptional (bright, warm etc) you could be looking to do this as frequently as once a week or more.

The soil should dry out a little between watering’s. In Winter a lot less water is required.

Humidity

Moderate humidity will be helpful, however misting of the leaves isn’t needed.

Feeding

A feed once a month or so would be appreciated during the growing seasons.

Temperature

Your Yucca will tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but average home temperatures are best. Cooler in Winter if possible, but not lower than 7°C (45°F).

Repotting

It’s not essential, but a good rule of thumb is to repot every two years in Spring. The plants tend to become top heavy as most of the weight is centered at the top of the Yucca, planting in a deep heavy container will help prevent the plant from tipping over.

Propagation

There is a more complicated method of taking Yucca root cane cuttings, however as we haven’t done this ourselves we can’t with good faith recommend it. The easier method is to remove the offsets that are produced from the trunk and pot them up.

Chances of the offsets growing will increase if you use a rooting hormone. Water well when first potting up, and then only again when the top inch of the soil has dried out, constantly moist conditions will encourage rot. The offsets should not be fed and should be kept out of direct sunlight until established.

Speed of Growth

Yucca’s grow slowly.

Height / Spread

Generally it is a narrow plant only spreading to around 50cm / 20in, however it can reach staggering heights of up to 4.5m / 15ft after many years.

Flowers

A Yucca may produce flowers sometimes, although this is rare indoors. This plant is grown for its leaves and structural height rather than the flowers. However if conditions are good, after a number of years, similar sweet smelling white bell flowers you see on outdoor Yucca’s may appear.

Is the Yucca plant Poisonous?

The Yucca is moderately poisonous to cats, dogs and people. While it can normally protect itself through the sharp edges on the leaves and hard protective bark on it’s trunk, if persistent pets or children damage the plant enough they’ll come across the poisonous elements inside.

Anything else?

If the plant becomes too tall for the space then there is what we like to call the “leap of faith chop“. This involves literally cutting / sawing a large top section of the plant off, usually in early Spring. This results in nothing more than a fancy looking “log” or “stump” sticking out of the pot. However in a short time the plant should produce new offsets from the cut edge.

The top bit you have removed with all the leaves can be potted up in a different pot of compost as a separate plant. Make sure you firm it in well to prevent it falling or rocking itself out of the pot.

The stump needs to re sprout new leaves, the part removed needs to grow new roots, however in both instances re growth is probable but never certain.

This kind of feels like a tongue-in-cheek moment where we add in a disclaimer about not being able to take responsibility if your favorite houseplant dies. In all seriousness, once you hack your beloved Yucca to bits you can’t go back. There is a chance you will lose both “parts” of your plant so you should only go ahead if you are prepared for that. Hence the leap of faith.

Caring for Yucca Plants Recap

1. Bright Light This houseplant always performs best if given direct sunlight for at least several hours a day.
2. Average Watering These are hardy plants and it’s difficult to over or underwater. Aim to keep the soil moist during Summer for best results.
3. Average Temperature If you find the temperature comfortable, your plant will too.
4. Feeding Provide feed once a month when temperatures are warm and light levels good.

Yucca Problems

Leaf spots / Leaf disfiguration

This can be caused by Leaf Spot, remove badly affected leaves and spray with a fungicide. It can also be caused by poor air quality, particularly if the humidity is very high, or if exposed to temperatures below 7°C / 45°F these problems almost only ever occur in the Winter months.

White Film on the leaves

This problem keeps coming up in the comments below as well in direct emails. The photo below shows a good example.

In almost all cases it’s going to be caused by one of the following.

• Fungal Infections like Powdery mildew can affect indoor plants. But this is the least likely explanation because the Fungal spores are unlikely to exist in homes, so unless you keep your plants outside during the Summer move on.
• Pests like Scale and Aphids will secrete sticky waste products that will eventually attract bacteria and this can present as a white film. However the pests have to be present. If all you have is the white film – pests are probably not the cause.
• Finally the white marks could be natural growth. If you look carefully over the leaves on indoor and outdoor plants there is often a fine, at times, almost invisible, white powder on many leaves, especially newer ones. You can easily rub the film off with a finger and if you rub your finger and thumb together it will feel chalky rather than sticky. Additionally the markings will always exist as long streaks and not isolated blotches or spots.

So what’s wrong with the plant in the photo above? The owner shared several photos, some clearly showed the natural white marks, so parts of the plant were fine and didn’t need any treatment.

However if you look closely you can see the white film is in spots and individual blotches. There are also black and brown dots in the creases of the leaves where they meet the stem, which isn’t normal. So in this instance the Yucca has a pest infestation that needs to be treated accordingly.

Yucca leaves bending over / Wilting

This is one of the hardest problems to identity and resolve because it could caused by any number of things. Firstly some Yuccas will have this trait naturally (see gallery photos), if it comes on suddenly it could be caused by; poor watering techniques (over or under watering). Shock, after moving or repotting the plant. Too much fertiliser. Adjust accordingly.

Even if you restore conditions to what they were previously it may not be enough. Yucca’s are often very difficult to bring back to health once they start to go downhill, so if it does succumb it might make you feel better to know you are in good company.

Completely yellow or brown leaves

If you are pretty good with houseplants this will be rare, however these symptoms are usually caused by underwatering.

Tatty looking plant

Yucca’s have fairly long and thick leaves, so if any of the leaves are looking dead, brown or messy it can create a real eyesore as well as making it look like a problem exists when there isn’t one.

The leaves are thick and tough and even when they die they don’t fall off the plant nicely, instead they sort of hang there like the plant in the photo here. To restore things to it’s formal attractive appearance you will need to get in there and gently but firmly pull the dead leaves downwards towards the floor. They should “rip” off the trunk / stem with no visible damage. It’s very simple but really effective and will transform the look of your plant.

If you’re having problems removing any of the leaves then simply cut them off as close to the trunk and stem as possible.

Brown Tips with yellow rings or halos

Usually a sign of constant overwatering. Ensure the soil dries out some before you water, and drain out any excess liquid left in the pot after half an hour.

Very low humidity is the typical cause, however it can also be a symptom of the previous problem.

How to Grow and Care for Spineless Yucca

Erica Puisis writes about home products for The Spruce and specializes in interior design and plant care. She’s contributed to Forbes and smart home blogs like Smart Home Solver and TechDigg.

Debra LaGattuta is a Master Gardener with 30+ years of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Garden Review Board.

The spineless yucca (Yucca elephantipesis) a versatile evergreen plant that thrives both in the garden as well as your living room. They boast thick tree-like stalks topped with clean-lined, sword-shaped leaves.

This form of yucca has softer leaves without spines, giving rise to its name. The sword-shaped leaves do not have sharp, hard edges, so it is a bit more user-friendly than other varieties of yucca. However, its leaves do have a pointy end so be careful when walking near it, Brushing against its foliage won’t cut you like other varieties of yuca can.

If provided with ideal conditions, the spineless yucca might even bloom. In the spring or summer, it produces a stalk from its center on which clusters of bell-shaped, white flowers bloom. However, flowering usually only occurs on plants growing outdoors in the ground. Spineless yuccas grown in containers or as houseplants rarely produce flower stalks.

Though a slow grower, the spineless yucca grows more quickly when planted outdoors. When given ample room, it can mature at up to 30 feet tall and almost as wide. However, this shouldn’t scare you away from growing one in your living room. When grown in pots and kept trimmed, the spineless yucca normally reaches a height of 5 feet, making it a perfect floor plant. Its height also makes it a good candidate for a taller addition to an outdoor container garden.

Light

The spineless yucca does best in full sunshine. If grown indoors, the more sunlight you can provide, the better this plant will fare. They can tolerate some shade, but too much shade might cause foliage to turn brown or stretch and take on a leggy appearance.

Soil

This hardy plant is native to desert areas, which means it thrives in loose, infertile, sandy soil. If you plant spineless yucca in a container, be sure the soil mimics natural conditions by using a well-draining mix. Cactus or succulent mix might seem ideal, but although these mixes drain well, they might be too fertile and might not drain well enough for your spineless yucca.

You can make your own yucca potting mix by combining one part potting soil to three parts perlite or coarse sand.

Water

Avoid overwatering spineless yucca, which can cause problems with root rot. Always allow the soil to dry out between waterings. These hardy plants are drought tolerant and do not like being overwatered.

Your watering schedule will differ depending on the environment. A yucca in a hot, dry area will need more watering than one in a cooler area. Once the soil dries out, water the plant thoroughly and deeply.

If the yucca is growing in a pot, apply water until you see water draining out of the drainage holes. Allow all this excess water to drain away, then be sure the soil dries out before watering again.

Temperature and Humidity

The spineless yucca is a very hardy plant and is tolerant of a wide range of temperatures from just below freezing up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. However, these plants thrive in midrange temperatures and medium humidity levels. This makes the controlled temperatures and humidity levels of indoor spaces perfect for yucca plants.

Fertilizer

Because the spineless yucca thrives in low-nutrient soil, fertilizing is not often needed. If your yucca is in need of some extra nutrients, however, apply a slow-release cactus fertilizer, preferably one low in nitrogen. This is best done during its growing season, about once a month. Yuccas grown outdoors are more likely to need fertilizer than those grown indoors.

Propagating Spineless Yucca

Propagating your spineless yucca can be done through stem cuttings or offsets. Though the stalk or stem is thick, don’t let that scare you away from propagation.

1. Using a sharp, clean saw, cut the offset growing from the stalk. If you are cutting the entire stalk, cut at least four inches below the foliage.
2. Set the cutting aside and let it dry for a few days.
3. Once dry, place the cut stem into well-draining soil. Make sure to firmly press down on larger cuttings to secure them in the container
4. Locate the yucca cuttings in indirect light as their roots become established. It is best to keep the soil moist during this time.
5. After 3 or 4 weeks, roots should develop. At this point, care for your cutting as you would a mature plant.

If you cut your entire yucca in two with a stem cutting, it can be a bit worrisome to see your original yucca stripped of its foliage. Of course, there is always the possibility of losing the plant when performing such a large-scale propagation process. However, the mother plant most often grows a new rosette of foliage in no time! If you don’t want to risk such a significant propagation process and your plant is not growing too tall for its place, offset propagation is safer.

Potting and Repotting Spineless Yucca

The spineless yucca does not need to be repotted often because these plants like to be slightly root-bound. Therefore, repot only when the pot size is hindering growth.

To do this, gently work the roots out from the pot. Shake away any excess dirt and repot your yucca in a slightly larger pot with fresh yucca soil mixture. It is best to repot your yucca in the spring.