We love Yucca plants on this site. One of the great things about having a collection of houseplants is that you can create your own mini indoor jungle, and nothing encapsulates that look better than the Yucca plant. A strong trunk juxtaposed with little spiky leaves in a beautiful green colour that would brighten up any home.
Indoor Yucca plants became incredibly popular in the 1980s, and they have remained so every since. You can see why - not only are they stylish and attractive little plants, but they also help to clear the air that we breathe, and have been proven to have a positive impact on our productivity and mental wellbeing. This is an indoor plant worth adding to your collection.
The big question we're going to answer in this blog though, is all about Yucca plant care - what do you need to know, and is caring for a Yucca plant difficult? We'll cover everything you need to know about this, so your indoor Yucca plant can grow up healthy and strong for years to come.
Are Yucca Plants easy to care for?
Let's cover this first off - just so you can get an idea whether you have what it takes to look after a Yucca plant. So let us nip this one in the bud early on; yes, you more than have what it takes to look after a Yucca plant. How do we know? Well, if you're reading an article about indoor Yucca Plant care, then you are more than qualified!
The main reason that they are so easy to look after is that they are relatively drought tolerant, so even though they need plenty of light, Yucca plants are pretty self sufficient once you have found a suitable spot for them. They do need water, but you don't need a strict watering schedule. We'll cover the full details further down this article.
What are Yucca Plants?
There are over 50 varieties of Yucca Plants in the world, including the Yucca Aloifolia, which have very sharp leaves, Yucca gloriosa, a low-growing shrub, and the yucca species that we sell on our site, the Yucca Elephantipes, sometimes known as the Yucca Gigantea or the 'Spineless Yucca' as they have softer leaves, making them more suitable for growing at home, especially if you have children or animals.
Most Yucca plants hail from Central America, in the desert regions. As such, they are used to going long periods without water. They are important plants to the people in these areas - the tough fibre of the leaves were used to make footwear, and the Yucca plant has been used in medicine for centuries, thought to improve digestion and circulation. Some Yucca plants produce edible fruits, which taste a bit like sweet potatoes.
In Victorian times, the plants were bought over to Europe, and became very popular with the wealthier members of society - the sword shaped leaves and stocky trunk made them look exotic, and it became a display of wealth to have a Yucca plant indoors. After another boom in the 70s and 80s, the Yucca plant has once again become an incredibly popular plant - find the right indoor pots, and it acts as a great centrepiece to any indoor plant display.
How to care for a Yucca Plant
Part of the popularity of Yuccas Plants comes from the fact that they are low maintenance plants - they don't require your constant attention, you just need to check in on it every now and then. Here is everything you need to know:
Let's start with water. As it's from the desert, your Yucca Plant will be able to last a long time without water. For the best results, and to encourage healthy growth, you should look to water it every couple of weeks during the growing season (Spring and Summer), and less frequently in the dormant period (Autumn and Winter). The best way to check is to touch the top of the soil - only give it more water if it is dry. Your aim is to keep soil moist, but not waterlogged.
Contrary to most people's intuition, it's actually worse to give your Yucca Plant too much water than it is to give it not enough. If water sits there in the soil, it can cause the root system to rot - the leaves will turn yellow if this happens.
Now light - Yucca plants grow best in plenty of light, so pop it in a sunny spot in your home, ideally where it can get some plenty of light during the day like a south facing window. They can cope with direct sunlight too, so you can always move your Yucca plant outdoors on nice, sunny days.
Like other desert plants, they prefer a specific cactus/succulent compost mix, rather than general purpose compost which can clog with water a little. Give it some fresh compost every couple of years. You can feed it with some fertiliser at the start of the growing season, but it doesn't need a lot.
Here is a quick, easy-to-read list of everything you need to know:
-
Origins: Central America
-
How much light: Plenty of bright light
-
Water requirements: About once every couple of weeks in growing season, less often when dormant. Like most indoor plants, check to see if the soil is dry before you water.
-
Humidity requirements: Replicate that desert atmosphere - keep it dry.
-
Soil requirements: Well-draining potting mix or cactus compost
-
Temperature requirements: 10°C to 30°C, minimum 7°C
-
Pruning requirements: Remove dead or damaged leaves when you see them
-
Pests: Check your Yucca leaves for pests like spider mites, mealybugs and scales. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove them.
Propagating Yucca Plants
There are two main ways to propagate a Yucca plant - one is from offsets. In the Spring you can cut off an offset from the parent plant with a sharp knife, making sure to cut all the way from the trunk down to the base. Then simply plant that in it's own pot, and it will grow from there.
The second way is from stem cuttings - take a large stem cutting (around 20 cm) from one of your mature plants, and place it in a pot in a warm room. Just make sure it the soil remains moist, and it should start to develop roots in a few weeks - your plant grows from there.
Create your own indoor jungle with Prickle
Now that you know all you need to know about growing Yucca plants, what else can you add to your indoor plant setup to create the perfect display? Have a look at our indoor plant collection, and choose some of your favourites - we even have an outdoor plant collection now too!
If you would like any help or advice from our team of experts, you can get in touch with them on social media @prickplantsuk, or via email at contact@prickleplants.co.uk. We'd love to hear from you!