How to Grow and Care for Spineless Yucca

The spineless yucca (Yucca elephantipesis) a versatile evergreen plant that thrives both in the garden as well as your living room. If provided with ideal conditions (this plant thrives in full sun and doesn't like to be overwatered), the spineless yucca might even bloom. 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. This plant is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Read on for our care and growing guide.

Spineless Yucca Care

The spineless yucca does well with little maintenance and little attention. Here are the main growing requirements:

• Give plenty of sunshine
• Use well-drained soil
• Do not overwater
• Occasionally trim away spent or sagging leaves to keep your spineless yucca looking clean and healthy

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.

Overwintering

Spineless yucca will need protection in the winter. If temperatures are going to dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you should bring your plant indoors until the weather warms up again. Take care not to water your plant too often in the winter as it can risk waterlogging.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

The hardy spineless yucca is not often bothered with pests or diseases, but can have trouble with aphids, scale, or mealybugs. The biggest problem encountered is root rot, which is caused by overwatering. Especially in the winter months, make sure not to water your plant too much and let it dry out between waterings.

Common Problems With Spineless Yucca

While spineless yucca is relatively easy to grow, there are a couple of issues you should look out for.

Yellowing Leaves

If you notice your plant's leaves turning yellow, the most common cause is overwatering. This is a plant that does not like to be waterlogged. Feel the soil in between waterings and only water when it's almost completely dried out.

Drooping Leaves

Drooping leaves can occur and are generally caused by too little light, exposure to extreme temperatures, or too much/too little water.