The Yucca plant is a very well known plant that hails from a genus of more than 40 perennial plants, shrubs, and trees, although only a few of them are grown as houseplants in the name of the Yucca plant.
At times, people confuse this plant with the Dracaena genus as they have similarities in their appearance. These plants are very interesting, and they grow slowly as houseplants which is an advantage in addition to them being drought tolerant.
Overwatering is probably something that can kill Yucca plants. Give these Yuca plants time and you will see them growing into room devouring monsters, although this takes a very long time and the advantage to this is that you will get many years of durable service in terms of it being a houseplant before it does its magic of overwhelming the space.
These plants are known to be plants that grow slowly but they require repotting in a space of two to three years. Their botanical name is Yucca App but they are commonly known as Yucca plant. Their plant type is the Herbaceous perennials, shrubs and trees. In terms of maturity they vary.
How to care for the Yucca Plant
These plants are known to be easy to grow as long as you know the right conditions under which they thrive. Funny thing about these plants that the more you neglect them, the more they thrive unlike giving them too much attention. These plants are so easy to undergo overwatering, and the soggy stems are an indication that you are applying too much water to them. In short, the Yucca plants loves conditions of a sunny corner but relatively low humidity.
These plants are not that much vulnerable to pests, although you might have problems when it comes to scale. Give it time and you will notice these plants losing their lower leaves, you will notice them drooping and forming a skirt around the trunk which provides the plant with a very appealing tree-like appearance.
When you are in a home that has active children, it is very good to make sure that you choose a species of the Yucca that is spineless, we can talk of the Yucca Guatamalensis which has high chances of causing skin pricks.
Light
When it comes to light, these Yucca plants will do fantastic in full sunlight; hence when you have a west-facing window, be sure to put this plant there and you will see it thriving under such burning conditions. The sun should rather be bright but indirect. Do not make a mistake of growing this plant in a region where there is low light as this will result in fewer flowers and a thinner growth of the Yucca plants. To think about it, a Yucann which grows in a shadier spot will lead to slow growth, which is kind of an advantage, no need for frequent repotting every now and then.
Soil
In terms of soil, the Yucca thrives in Sandy, dry deserts. The most fascinating thing about this is that you will find that it is a well-drained potting mix when you look inside the Yucca plants. Do not worry about the potting mix as it does not necessarily need to be specially formulated or rich, in addition to that, Yuccas need low maintenance and this is not a wise idea. You can go for a bag of inexpensive potting mix and then place in some coarse horticultural grade and perlite, which will encourage good drainage.
Water
The Yucca when it comes to waterlogging it is highly sensitive. When in spring and growing season, you need to regularly apply water while seeing that the plant has fantastic drainage and dries between watering. When in winter, you need to water sporadically. Whatever you do, make sure not to let a Yucca plant sit in a tray of water.
Temperature and Humidity
This plant does well when in the desert, a region where temperatures can reach about 90 degrees Fahrenheit and then during the night they can reach the 30s. This is the reason why this plant is much adaptable to a lot of indoor temperature conditions.
Under moderate humidity conditions, you will see this plant thriving, and dry conditions are not bad for these plants. You do not need to make this plant undergo any misting.
Fertilizer
This is a very important aspect when growing plants. Make sure that you fertilize the Yucca plants during the growing season and apply this using liquid fertilizer or controlled fertilizer according to the instructions on the label. You can apply fertilizer to Yucca plants once every month and you will see them thriving just fine.
Toxicity
These leaves of Yucca plants have steroidal saponins, which are chemicals that are capable of causing irritation, and they even go as far as attacking the central nervous system if you consume them in relatively large amounts. Try tasting this plant, and you will notice how it has a quite bitter taste hence it’s not usually common for dogs and cats to eat this plant in dangerous quantities although animals there have been instances of horses eating these plants in rather dangerous quantities up to the point of becoming ill due to the large amounts consumed.
Symptoms of Poisoning
If an animal takes the Yucca plant in dangerous amounts, the animals will show signs of drooling, vomiting, weakness and muscular incoordination.
This plant, even though it is not labeled bad toxic when it comes to humans, there are some varieties of Yucca plants that have sharp spines on the tips, and then puncture wounds from these leaves can lead to irritation, and the person may require some medical attention.
Make sure that when you are growing Yuccas in homes, they should be put in a place not easily accessible by babies or children as this is for their own safety. You would not be happy to see your kid dead because of negligence of how you could have put the plant away from the kid.
Yucca Plant Varieties
This plant is vast and has more than 40 species in the Yucca genus, with only a few which are regularly grown indoors. When it comes to desert areas, like for example the southeastern United States, you will find that Yuccas are common indoor outdoor plants and they attain their full size. A lot of people indoors like to stick to two species which are to be discussed below.
Yucca guatamalensis (formerly Y. elephantipes): this species of the Yucca is sometimes referred to as the spineless Yucca or Yucca came and this plant gets its growth from the bulbous base with long, sword-like leaves which lack a typical tip spine.
This species’ mature specimens grow into small, branching trees with bare trunks topped with spiraled rosettes of arching leaves. These species are known to be slow growers, although they can live indoors for quite sometime before they can outgrow their space.
When we talk about the Yucca plant species, this is the most popular of them all to be grown as a houseplant.
Yucca aloifolia: this species which is sometimes referred to as the Spanish Bayonet, it composes of stuff leaves that end in sharp points.
These leaves can grow up to 20 inches long and can be sharp in a dangerous way. If you have small children in your homes, make sure not to have this plant in your homes.
Potting and Repotting
These plants thrive when they are slightly pot-bound on a condition that they do not become heavy enough to tip over their containers.
These plants will give you a chance not to pot for at least two or three years, which is a good feature for indoor plants.
You will find it rather hectic to report large plants of the Yucca species hence the need to refresh large plants by supplying potting soil out the top two inches of the container and new soil has to be added.
When you are doing the repotting, make sure to remove the Yucca plant from it’s container and increase by one container size. Make sure always to use dress potting soil.
Propagating Yucca Plant
These plants are very easy to propagate. You can do this with offsets of older plants. How you can do this is report or carefully slice away the offset and make sure to pot into a separate container.
These plants can be propagated through a method of stem cuttings with the aid of stem measuring at least 4 inches. Keep in mind to treat the stem cutting with rooting hormone before you decide to plant it in a fresh pot.
Stem cuttings will quickly root themselves if the potting soil is kept moist (but not soggy).
Yucca grown indoors will likely not flower or bear seeds, so vegetative propagation is usually the only option.
Pruning
When it comes to pruning, the Yucca plants ought to be pruned back when it grows too tall for the space at a time of now and then. The plant has to be removed from the plant with care and make sure that a saw it sharp pair of slippers are used to split the trunk in half. What you di after this now is report the rooted end of the truck and make sure it is watered well.
When you have a wish if pruning the flowers of a Yucca plant, this can be done at any time even when it’s not blooming. Make sure to use a sharp pair Of pruning shears if you wish to cut the stalk off 3 to 4 inches above where the stalk is where the stalk grows from the main trunk with force and speed.
What are Different Yucca Plants Used For?
Maybe you might be wondering what these plants might be used for, well these plants have a large number of uses to their name and let’s look at some of them.
The main thing that is obvious about these plants is that in addition to being grown outside, they make a lovely addition to the home they are grown in when they are grown inside.
Several types of yucca plants have edible flowers and fruit, including the banana yucca and soapweed yucca.
Talk about Yucca roots and leaves; these contain steroidal saponins, which is used to deal with anti-inflammatory issues. They believe it purifies and cleanses the blood, kidneys and heart.
Always consult a healthcare practitioner before preparing your own herbal remedies.
Soapweed yucca is used to make shampoo and soap, and the leaves are woven into baskets. Historically, yucca was used primarily for its fiber, which was woven into fabric and twisted into rope.
Conclusion
To do a recap, The Yucca plant is a very well-known plant that hails from a genus of more than 40 perennial plants, shrubs and trees, although only a few of them are grown as houseplants in the name of Yucca plant.
At times, people confuse this plant with the Dracaena genus as they have similarities in their appearance. These plants are very interesting, and they grow slowly as houseplants which is an advantage in addition to them being drought tolerant. Overwatering is probably something that can kill Yucca plants.
Give these Yuca plants time and you will see them growing into room devouring monsters, although this takes a very long time and the advantage to this is that you will get many years of durable service in terms of it being a houseplant before it does its magic of overwhelming the space.
When it comes to caring, these plants are known to be easy to grow as long as you know the right conditions under which they thrive. The funny thing about these plants that the more you neglect them, the more they thrive, unlike giving them too much attention.
These plants are so easy to undergo overwatering, and the soggy stems are an indication that you are applying too much water to them. In short, the Yucca plants love conditions of a sunny corner but relatively low humidity.