Super modern garden accent and a staple of the desert landscape. It is a large, architecturally interesting yucca plant native to Mexico and West Texas. Also known as: Thompson’s yucca, soyate, palmita. A yucca plant is a woody, perennial shrub belonging to the Agavaceae family and a native of North America. Copyright© In early and midsummer tall stalks of up to four feet sprout from the center. Remove the flower stalk after it has dried, which is usually in late summer. Cut off the lower leaves with a blade if you want to remove its "skirt. " This shimmering rosette is mounted atop a tree trunk, which is covered with the soft gray fibers of the old leaves, creating a silver haze. Exposure: Full sun. Their towering flower stalks can reach 8 feet high and hold creamy/white blooms from late spring through summer. Water well and then you are done with your pruning. Beaked yucca, is usually found growing on rocky bajadas, ridges or slopes that are comprised of limestone gravel. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Determine the halfway mark on your yucca, and using a saw or similar cutting device, lop off the top leafy section of the trunk. As a bonus, after cutting the trunk, you can remove the leaves from the top section (making careful note of which end is the top) and plant that section. Don showed how to prune the yucca without ruining its architectural shape. Light pruning can also be done in the spring, from February to May, by removing leafy branches starting from the trunks. Growing Zone: USA: 5 to 10. Consider fertilizing once or twice during the growing season, but if you plan to fertilize, be sure to consult with someone knowledgeable of yucca plants, such as workers at a nursery that sells yuccas. Prune broken canes or blades several inches below the break. Pruning is as simple as that. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent Yucca rostrata Growing and Care Guide. If you prune off any healthy cane, let it dry in a cool spot for several days then press the bottom 12 inches into soil in a sunny spot outdoors. Color: Gray-blue leaves, blooms with a stalk of white flowers when mature. Prune my beaked yucca Let the yellowened lower leaves dry by themselves before tearing them of: they are quite normal in the cycle of life of the yucca, which renews its foliage. Prune the plant when necessary. Many species and cultivars thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 though 11. Blue Beaked Yucca (yucca rostrata) – Handsome and hardy Rostrata is a showstopper of a yucca. Pruning isn’t necessary for outdoor yuccas, though it makes for an easy way to keep it from completely overpowering the yard. Blooms in spring from center of foliage with one large two foot inflorences of iridescent white flowers that are truly amazing. When planting, mix equal parts gravel or sand with soil. Pull the stalk out from the center of the plant only … Well, once the flowers have faded, just prune back the flowering stalks. This plant can also be easily transplanted. Allow the soil to dry between waterings.". Stop removing leaves about halfway up the tree or when you like the way the yucca looks. Unlike most plants, where pruning means the cutting of branches and blooms, the yucca is a cane plant, and thus pruning means cutting the trunk. Choosing the Best Companion Plants for a Yucca. That’s it. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Yucca are easy to propagate from cuttings. One of the most ornamental varieties, stiff leaves form a … Genus. Yuccas come in all shapes and sizes, from a porcupine-size ball of spike to the towering canes of a Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) topping out at 40 feet tall. Yucca rostrata – The’Beaked yucca’ Yucca rostrata, or ‘Beaked yucca’ care growing conditions.Yucca rostrata will reach 3-4m with a rounded head of fine needle like foliage are a fast growing shrubs to small trees originally from Mexico through to Arizona. Leaves are thin, stiff, up to 60 cm long but rarely more than 15 mm wide, tapering to a sharp point at the tip. When this happens, feel free to remove the leaves or flower stalks. On average, the yucca should be fine surviving off regular rainfall, even after heavy pruning. I seem to be seeing quite a few…. In fact, it can quickly outgrow its original position in the garden, as seen in our segment. Cut them off as close to the original plant as possible. Grow yucca in an area with exposure to at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. How to Trim a Yucca Tree. Many yucca plants are recognizable by their tropical canes or sword-like leaves, but it's hard to give a general description. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. The stems and leaves can be pointed and sharp. Yucca Yucca. Yuccas require little trimming. Yucca rostrata has a trunk up to 4.5 meters tall, with a crown of leaves at the top. It will take about 3-4 weeks for the roots to grow. No formal shaping of this plant is necessary. Beaked yucca has hundreds of small, thin leaves that grow densely in a pleasing, rounded habit. TIP: Thurber advises, "Yucca plants grow in two forms, tree-like or in a rosette. Once established, beaked and other yucca varieties rarely need additional water. Each are pruned slightly differently. Yucca Rostrata, also known as the Blue Beaked Yucca is a large variety of Yucca that grows long, blue leaves that jut out to form a ball shape, perched on top of a fairly large trunk. Excessive pruning encourages the plant to produce yucca "pups" that in time can take over your backyard. **So how should you prune Red Yucca? Yucca elephantipes, more commonly called the spineless or soft-tipped yucca, is a fast growing member of the agave family. TIP:Thurber advises, "Yucca plants grow in two forms, tree-like or in a rosette. North of Zone 7, only try growing it outdoors in an extremely well-drained and sandy bed, with all possible Sun … Details- Adams Needle Yucca is on of the hardiest Yucca plants. Like most succulents, yuccas are extremely low maintenance and grow well in pots. Photo: Karen Beaty Beaked yucca. Yuccas that grow in rosettes require only the removal of dead leaves and flower stocks.". Occasionally, leaves and blooms may start to look unsightly or discolored, especially toward the end of the growing season. Yuccas that grow in tree form can be pruned to control their size. It is a thin-leafed tree yucca with several. Yucca rostrata (Beaked Yucca) is a slow-growing, tree-like Yucca with upright stems and beautiful gray-blue narrow foliage. Stiff blue-green leaves are 2 ft. long, have drooping tips and together create a large circular canopy; old leaves persist on trunks for many years unless removed. Determine where the halfway mark is on the trunk or a point where you wish to be pruning a yucca that is above the halfway point. The best time to do your pruning is in the spring, shortly before the growing season. Water it well at planting and then let nature take its course. Wise gardeners limit yucca pruning to the essentials. How to Grow Beaked Yucca. Remove the severed flowering stalk and discard. Y. thompsoniana (syn. Trimming a yucca is not a task for the faint-hearted. Each are pruned slightly differently. Yucca rostrata Commonly called Big Bend or beaked yucca. Family Asparagaceae . Select sandy, well-drained soil that isn't prone to standing ... 2. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. Apply a general-purpose fertilizer once each year in late winter or early spring before the main growing season. Other yucca varieties are tall and tree-like. Step 3 Make stem cuts just above leaf and flower bud nodes, removing just the damaged tips or going all the way to the base as needed. Now I see it occasionally in independent nurseries. The beaked yucca is a spectacular single-stemmed yucca tree with a stunning spray of bluish-green leaves radiating from the trunk’s top. According to beaked yucca plant information, the plant’s trunk (or stem) can grow to 12 feet (3.5 m.). Trim off the yucca's bloom stalk, if your yucca is one of the species with bloom stalks. Yuccas that grow in tree form can be pruned to cont… Cut damaged and dead stems off the yucca plant, removing only the stems displaying noticeable signs of age and/or weakness. We welcome your comments and Website operating It’s perfect for growing in … It really couldn’t be more simple.Red Yucca is a very low-maintenance plant, just take care not to prune the top of the plant So, have you seen any pruning disasters lately? submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". She currently divides her life between San Francisco and southwestern France. All rights reserved. In spring, prune away older leaves as they die, which encourages new growth. Pruning and trimming a yucca may look rather harsh, but it's a very strong and vital plant that can easily recover when properly cared for. suggestions. Capable of growing a stout trunk up to 14 feet tall with a striking blue-green hued, dense crown of narrow, 2 foot long, sharp tipped leaves. Removing the leaves or blooms can be done at any time of the year without damaging the plant, whether the bloom is old and dying or just starting to grow. Remove any pups growing near the base of the yucca unless you want multiple specimens. Beaked Yucca is a plant-it-and-forget-it pleasure out West, but needs all possible considerations in the lower-altitude, Winter-wetter, Summer-sweltering East. Zones: 7-11. After it dies, this stalk should be cut back all the way to the base to prevent rot. It is a normally a single-trunked yucca that reaches heights of 6-15 feet and wide of 5-8 feet Mature plants may branch and become multi-headed. Watch for infestations of grubs or desert beetles, and treat them as needed. This yucca is extremely hardy to minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Using a saw or a sharp pair of loppers, cut the trunk in half. Botanical name. 1. UK hardiness H5. Oct 7, 2016 - Yucca rostrata - Beaked yucca is a visually stunning explosion of blue on a trunk that can punctuate and add height to mixed arid plantings. Unlike most plants, where pruning means the cutting of branches and blooms, the yucca is a cane plant, and thus pruning means cutting the trunk. Also cut back stems after the plant has flowered. This low maintenance plant adds unique character to landscapes. Prune it as close to the base as possible; this trim is more to make the yard look tidy than to aid the plant. For new plants in their first ... 2. Beaked yucca’s scientific name is Yucca rostrata, with “rostrata” meaning beaked. 1. With great age plants develop a sizeable single trunk. Growing up to 10 feet tall in some varieties, yucca plants are known for their sword-like 2-and-1/2 feet long leaves. Perhaps the most handsome yucca, Yucca rostrata (Beaked Yucca) is a very ornamental, slow-growing, evergreen tree-like yucca forming a perfectly symmetrical pom-pom, full of hundreds of 2 ft. long (60 cm), sharp-tipped, pale bluish-green leaves. All information is provided "AS IS." Cut the flower stalk 3 to 4 inches above the center of the rosette with sharp pruning shears. Other common names beaked yucca . How to Adjust the Carburetor on a Craftsman Hedge Trimmer, How to Prune an African Iris Fortnight Lily, San Marcos Growers: Yucca Aloifolia "Marginata" - Golden Spanish Dagger, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center: Ask Mr. Smarty Plants - Winter Pruning For Yucca in Michigan. Hardy to - 15°C. It grows much faster in alkaline soils. Best Garden Use: Border, Rocky gardens, Specimen, Dry soil. Make your cuts as close as possible to the yucca's trunk. Other names. TIP: Thurber recommends, "After pruning, do not over water the yucca plant. When pruning, safety glasses and gloves are recommended.". Water yuccas only in dry weather. The bottom leaves are called the yucca’s “skirt.” Start at the bottom of the plant, and begin cutting off leaves using a knife, blade, pruning shears, or scissors. TIP: Our expert gardening advisor Karen Thurber cautions, "Some yuccas have very sharp leaves. Remove any dead branches, canes or blades. Water the yucca only when the top 6 inches of soil dries. You may freely link Once the cutting is fully dry, place the cutting in a container with potting soil and indirect light. 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Act as soon as the yucca finishes blooming in late summer. Pruning isn’t necessary for outdoor yuccas, though it makes for an easy way to keep it from completely overpowering the yard. Don appropriate protective clothing including gloves. Four or five years ago, Yucca rostrata was all but impossible to find locally. Santa Cruz, a law degree from Berkeley's Boalt Hall, and an MA and MFA from San Francisco State. Over the last few years, I’ve accumulated five Yucca rostrata, ranging from plants in 1-pint containers to the 2-ft. specimen I bought at Poot’s Cactus Nursery in Ripon, CA last November. Use as a bold architectural element in the garden. Repot the bottom, rooted end of the trunk. Although it can branch, it is most often seen with a single trunk, that can grow up to 15 feet (4.5 m) tall. Great plant for year long interest. Beaked yucca is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of the yuccas. Wickedly spiked bluish-green leaves form a dense crown of foliage. If you don’t want to make it quite as short as the halfway point, you can cut higher. Scientific Name: Yucca rostrata Life Cycle / Plant Type: Evergreen Tree, Perennial, Succulents and Cacti Common Name: Beaked Yucca, Silver Yucca, Blue Beaked Yucca, or Big Bend yucca. Cuts should be quick, clean and made at … Yucca rostrata. World traveler, professional writer and consummate gardener, Spengler earned a BA from U.C. When removing flower stalks, use sharp pruning shears and cut the stalk about 3 or 4 inches above where it's growing out of the main stem. home improvement and repair website. Yucca rostrata • Mature Height: 10' • Mature Width: 6' • Light Requirements: Full sun • Water Requirements: drought tolerant • Fertilizers: Dr Q's Desert Plant & It enjoys full sun or partial shade and is drought-resistant. Y. rostrata), Zones 5–10. The inflorescence is a large panicle 100 cm tall, with white flowers. Tall clusters of white flowers appear in summer, which may develop into fruit in milder regions. Beaked yucca, Big bend yucca, Old man yucca. Beaked yucca, Yucca rostrata, is a tall, attractive yucca, bearing a crown of narrow, silver blue, sword-shaped leaves in contrast to a creamy white bark. From Alaska to California, from France's Basque Country to Mexico's Pacific Coast, Teo Spengler has dug the soil, planted seeds and helped trees, flowers and veggies thrive. For a freshly pruned outdoor yucca, water very lightly, or set up a drip irrigation system for the plant, but this is only for the harshest and driest of climates. Place the yucca plant in a cool place for 4-5 days. Some yucca grow in a rosette shape, and produce a long, central flower stalk. If you’re taking stem cuttings, snip off 3-4″ inches of the plant as cutting and remove the top few leaves to reduce excess moisture. View our Privacy Policy here. Care for it just as you would the bottom, with plenty of sunshine and light watering, and pretty soon you’ll have a second blooming yucca. Determine the halfway mark on your yucca, and using a saw or similar cutting device, lop off the top leafy section of the trunk. To verify that a branch is dead, cut a small slice from the outer bark and look carefully at the wood beneath. I am helping my church. The Beaked yucca is a handsome species of yucca that grows with a single trunk and dense crown of foliage, 6-15 ft. tall; sometimes two or more heads develop on mature plants. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be Pruning- Pruning should be limited to the removal of dead flower stems and discolored or dead leaves. The beaked yucca grows quicker with supplemental irrigation and prefers rocky well-draining soils. It's important to provide a great deal of bright sunshine for the recovering plant. Bloom time: Summer. Height/Spread: 12 to 16 feet tall, 6 to 8 feet wide. Brown wood means deadwood; green wood indicates a living branch. It isn’t technically pruning, but you can cut off the leaves and blooms of your yucca plants as well. There's no need to wait to prune after flowering. 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And repair website at least six hours of direct sunlight each day with flowers... Stalk, if your yucca is a woody, perennial shrub belonging the! From San Francisco State maintenance plant adds unique character to landscapes plant adds unique character to landscapes point, can... Usually in late summer Community Forums '' Border, Rocky how to trim a beaked yucca, Specimen, dry soil end of the 's! Red yucca grows quicker with supplemental irrigation and prefers Rocky well-draining soils up the tree or when like! Sand with soil plant-it-and-forget-it pleasure out West, but needs all possible in. Upright stems and discolored or dead leaves with upright stems and leaves can be pruned to cont… how Trim! Early spring before the growing season position in the garden leaves form a dense crown of foliage with large!