Are you looking for a plant that will become the focal point in your garden or home? Then you have found the Beaked Yucca. It makes an ideal container plant and looks great in a bed or border. Furthermore, it also has a low water requirement, so it works well in dry areas and is drought tolerant. The best part is it is low maintenance, and today, we share with your some care tips on how to keep your Yucca rostrata thriving.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Yucca rostrata, also called beaked yucca, is a tree-like plant belonging to the genus Yucca. The species is native to Texas, and the Chihuahua and Coahuila regions of Mexico. This species of Yucca occurs in areas that are arid with little annual rainfall.
Out of all the ornamental or landscape plants in the Yucca species, this is the nicest looking one of them all. It is also a slow-growing evergreen with a single thick trunk. The pompom look is gorgeous, and the head contains thin sword-like leaves. The foliage is stiff and flexible as it sways in the wind.
The leaves have a greyish blue-green color with yellow margins, and the tips are waxy and tapered. Nonetheless, when you look at the Saphire Skies cultivar, it is a powder blue tint. The Yucca rostrata blooms in spring with whitish flowers on long panicles.
It also has yellow–orange flowering stalks reaching up to 40-inches high. Still, do not get confused with the Yucca rigida as the appearance is similar but not so stiff. The Beaked Yucca is native to western Texas and northern Mexico.
As one of the hardiest trunk-forming yuccas, Yucca rostrata can be grown successfully outdoors down to USDA hardiness zone 5 and is popular in many desert cities such as Palm Springs, CA, Phoenix, AZ, and Las Vegas, NV, in the Southwestern United States. The tree-like plant is also commonly cultivated in garden zones 7 and 8 in El Paso, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado. More recently, Yucca rostrata is being used in beach landscaping in coastal zone 7 and 8 areas of the East Coast, and can be found in coastal North Carolina, Virginia Beach, VA, Ocean City, MD, and on Long Island, NY and coastal Connecticut.
In Southern Europe, Yucca rostrata is cultivated in the subtropical Mediterranean region, including in southern Italy, Spain, Greece, and southern France. Rostrata is also cultivated in smaller numbers north into temperate Europe in the UK, Germany, and other areas. In these latter areas, cultivation is often more difficult in the cool summers and wet climates found in these areas. However, many people in the cooler and wetter parts of Northwest Europe cover Yucca rostrata in winter to keep moisture off the plant. Yucca rostrata is also popular in Australia and is on occasion used as a specimen plant in home landscapes.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
The beaked yucca likes a sunny and warm environment as it grows – the plant will find it difficult to bloom in an environment with insufficient sunlight. However, the beaked yucca does not like strong sunlight. It has a certain level of shade resistance, making mild, filtered sunlight your best option. Shade should always be provided in areas receiving direct sunlight.
Temperature and Humidity
The best temperature to grow your slow-growing plant is between 65°F – 74°F. Your plant can handle temperature drops up to 10°F. Still, we recommend protecting your plant from cold when it is freezing. Your tree-like Yucca can also tolerate low to high humidity levels.
When you live in the USDA hardiness zone 5 to 10, you can grow it as an outdoor plant.
Watering
While it is slow-growing, it does need regular watering at least once a week. During the growing season, you may find the soil dries fast in spring and summer. Still, do not drown your plant leaving moisture as it can lead to root rot.
During winter, you can cut down on the watering. But the rule of thumb remains to check the soil moisture before wetting your plant.
Soil
Growing Yucca rostrata is relatively easy, and most importantly, it needs well-drained soil with small stones and sand. The trunk forming Yuccas thrive in alkaline soil but flourish in the acidic ground.
If you decide to grow your Beaked Yucca in a pot, it will need repotting every four years. The plant is an excellent choice for Mediterranean gardens and rocky slopes. You can even grow them in gravel gardens.
Fertilizing
Fertilizer isn’t necessary. However, if you want to boost plant growth, add a balanced, time-released fertilizer during spring. Water well afterwards. Do not add more than this, as your yucca plants (including Yucca rigida) won’t perform well with too many nutrients.
Planting Instructions
The beaked yucca is easy to plant, with or without soil, and the best time to do so is in the spring or fall. Well-drained sandy soil should be selected, and you will need to prevent water from accumulating around the plant during a rainy spell.
For planting, sufficient basal fertilizer should be applied to the bottom of the flowerpot or pit (a compound fertilizer is usually selected as a basal fertilizer). After planting, if your beaked yucca has a rope binding its leaves, untie this, allowing the leaves to fully extend. Water thoroughly. A compound fertilizer should be applied once in the spring and fall – don’t use a fertilizer in the winter.
Pruning
Pruning the beaked yucca is simple. Remove any dead branches and diseased leaves during its growth period, and cut off any withered pedicels after blooming, so as to avoid nutrient loss. Lateral branches should also be pruned to maintain a balanced shape.
Propagation
When you want to propagate your plant, there are different methods you can use. The species produce offsets (pups), or you can also use stem cuttings.
- Taking Stem Cuttings
The method is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you propagate your Big Bend Yucca using multiple stems. The cuttings used can vary between two to six feet in length.
Preparing it for propagation helps to remove the leaves from the bottom on a 12-inch cutting. It can take up to six months for new growth to take place. The recommended time is in spring to help your plant establish itself by fall.
Keep the cuttings moist until you notice roots forming.
- Propagating from Pups
The small offsets grow as shoots from the mature plants with roots forming at the base. You sever the pup from the plant base and can root it in a potting mix or your garden.
- Rhizome Reproduction
You can also use the rhizomes that are fleshy and found underground. In late winter, you can dig it up to divide it into three-inch sections. You can do this by digging them up at the base without damaging your plant.
You can then replant the rhizomes in well-drained soil in containers to produce new roots in four weeks.
- Growing from Seed
The process of seed growing can take longer but is very successful. After the clusters of white flowers fade, it produces massive seed pods that will dry out on the plant. You can collect these seeds from the pod to plant.
Repotting
Before you decide to repot your yucca plants, don yourself with a long-sleeved shirt, pants, thick gloves, and eye protection. The leaves of the plant are heavily spiked and can hurt you! So prepare yourself, and ask a friend or family member for help if necessary. You can use this same process to repot Yucca rigida as well.
When repotting, use a container at least 2-4 inches larger and cut off 1-2 inches of the root mass. Prepare a container with good quality potting soil, and place the beaked yucca plant in it. Add more soil beneath the root ball until the base of the stalk is at the same level as the rim of the pot. Add the remaining soil and press it down. Since it’s a slow-grower, the plant doesn’t need frequent repotting.
Overwintering
n the fall, attention should be paid to frost prevention. Moving a potted plant indoors can help to prevent frost damage. In the winter, good sunlight will still be required, but reduce how often you water. A potted plant can be moved outdoors during the day to make the most of the winter sun. During its blooming period, the beaked yucca should be protected against the wind, so as to prevent the pedicel from breaking.
Pests and Diseases
- Common Pests
Beaked yucca is susceptible to red spiders. To keep them away, spray water on the leaves during dry seasons and regularly clean the dust off the leaves. You may also encounter spider mites, mealybugs, scale, and aphids. Water treatments work for these too.
You can manually remove scale insects, including mealybugs with an alcohol-soaked q-tip. Wipe the leaves down with a damp cloth to remove spider mites.
- Common Diseases
Yucca rostrata plants are virtually disease-free. However, avoid over watering as it leads to root rot. You may be able to treat a yucca with a few rotten roots by avoiding watering until the soil is completely dried out. More severely affected plants might be able to be treated through planting them in fresh media after rinsing their roots.
- Common Problems
As a winter-hardy, tough plant, Yucca rostrata rarely ever has any growing problems. However, make sure not to overwater as that can lead to root rot, yellow leaves, and spongy trunk. Always drain the soil well and hydrate only when the soil is dry.
III. Yucca Rostrata Varieties
The Yucca rostrata is a striking focal point in the garden, but other varieties also make for a gorgeous display.
- Adam’s Yucca
The Yucca filamentosa is another easy-growing plant tolerant to drought, rabbit, and deer and grows well in rocky soils. It grows broad leaves with tipped spines. You will see curly fibrous filaments growing off the leaf margins. It can grow up to eight feet tall with clusters of white flowers.
- Yucca rigida
The plant is usually confused with the Beaked Yucca, which only has a single trunk. The plant has powder-blue leaves that are wider and less twisted with a tall flower spike with white bellflower color. The plant is native to northern Mexico.
- Spanish Bayonet
The Spanish Bayonet many people planted as a living fence in warmer regions. The trunk is topped with thin leaves and sharp tips. It also produces a tall panicle with clusters of white flowers.
IV. Uses and Benefits
The Yucca Rostrata has a long and rich history in its native range, where it has been used for centuries by indigenous people for its various medicinal and practical applications. In modern times, this plant has become a popular ornamental addition to gardens and landscapes around the world, prized for its unique features and low-maintenance nature.
