Yucca gigantea (Spineless Yucca) Indoor Care and Common Problems with Solutions

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Yucca gigantea (Spineless Yucca) grows best in very bright light with some sunlight, average warmth and humidity, and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season.

Spineless Yucca also called Soft-tip Yucca, Blue-stem Yucca, Giant Yucca, Yucca Cane and Itabo is one of the hard to kill plants for the home, office and other places.

Yucca gigantea is an ideal False Palm for a hallway or large space in which a woody trunk bears a crown of long, leathery, strap-like, spineless leaves and white bell-shaped flowers may appear on mature plants.

Blue-stem Yucca requires a deep, well-drained container and a well-lit spot with some sunshine to thrive placing it among favored sun-loving plants for the sunny spots in the home.

Giant Yucca can grow in a variety of soils and is drought-tolerant and is among the plants with low water needs you may grow in any space.

Botanical name: Yucca gigantea
Family: Asparagaceae
Common names: Spineless Yucca, Soft-tip Yucca, Blue-stem Yucca, Giant Yucca, Yucca Cane, Itabo

Origin

Yucca gigantea is native to Mexico and Central America where it grows in a hot semi-arid climate. In its natural habitat it can grow to a height of 30-40 feet.

Size

Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) can grow to a height of 8-10 feet when grown indoors. On account of its size, it is one of the favored tree-like plants that will create a bold statement in any space.

Is Yucca gigantea toxic?

Yes. Yucca gigantea is toxic to both humans and pets. If ingested, it can cause vomiting in cats and dogs and dermatitis and liver disease in horses. Keep the plant from the reach of children and pets.

Where to Buy

If you are looking to add Spineless Yucca to your plant collection, you may acquire them from Etsy (Link to Etsy).

How to Care for Yucca gigantea Indoors

To properly care for Yucca gigantea indoors, give it very bright light with 6-8 hours of direct sunshine, warmth of 16-28⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, well-drained, fertile, succulents mix coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season. Keep reading for more on these growing conditions and how to achieve them.

Watering

How often do you water Spineless Yucca?

Water Spineless Yucca liberally in spring and summer until water drains through the drainage hole. Allow the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry out between waterings to keep the soil moderately moist. Take care not to overwater to prevent rotting, yellowing and drooping.

Significantly, reduce watering in fall and winter to keep the soil slightly moist as growth is slowed at this time. Do not let the soil dry out completely for a long period as underwatering can lead to wilting, drooping and yellowing.

Use water that is at room temperature as consistently watering with cold water will cause cold shock, resulting in stunted growth. Only use chlorine-free water to prevent browning of leaf edges.

Confirm that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining to prevent waterlogging which can result in root-rot. Always discard excess water from the catch plate when done watering as the plant does not like to sit in soggy soil.

Light Requirements

Where is the best place to put Spineless Yucca indoors?

Put your Spineless Yucca infront of a large, bright window where it will receive bright light with 6-8 hours of morning or late afternoon sunshine. Keep it away from hot midday sunlight to avoid scorching.

Too little light for Yucca gigantea will result in yellowing and leggy growth. If the natural light is not enough, use full spectrum grow lights to increase it.

Regularly rotate the pot to ensure that the plant receives sufficient light on all sides for uniform growth and prevent lopsided growth.

Blue-stem Yucca can also grow under direct sunshine, but it needs to be acclimated gradually, by exposing it to brighter light each day over a period of 2 weeks to avoid scorching.

Temperature and Humidity

Yucca gigantea prefers a warmth of 16-28⁰C; a temperature that is comfortable for you is ideal for this plant. Keep it away from sources of drafts to avoid sudden temperature changes as they can cause reduced growth, wilting, yellowing and leaf drop.

Spineless Yucca has no need for extra humidity; a humidity of 50-55% is ideal for this plant. Maintain good air circulation to prevent fungal diseases like leaf spot.

Fertilizer

Feed Spineless Yucca with a balanced, liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks in the growing period to promote a lush growth. Do not feed in the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time may lead to fertilizer burn.

Potting Soil

The best soil for Yucca gigantea should be rich in organic matter, loose and free-draining to avoid waterlogging. The soil should be loose enough to allow water to drain out fast enough. A Cactus and succulents mix is ideal for this plant as it drains easily.

Repotting

Repot Spineless Yucca during the growing season, only when the plant is pot-bound as it grows best when root-bound. Use a deep pot for the extensive root systems. The pot should be heavy to prevent it from toppling over as it can become top-heavy.

Make sure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead to root-rot. Refresh the soil for the large plants by removing the top 2-4 inches of soil and replacing it with fresh soil. Check out these succulents pots on Amazon.

Pruning & Maintenance

Pruning Spineless Yucca involves removal of dead and dry leaves to maintain the plant neat and discourage pest and disease infestations.

To promote branching and control size, cutback the stem with a clean, sharp pair of pruning scissors at the desired level. New shoots will grow just below the cut to form a crown of leaves on the trunk.

The flowers can be removed at any time if desired. Cut away the flower stalk while leaving 3-4 inches of stalk attached to the trunk to avoid wounding the trunk which may result in fungal infections.

Regularly clean the leaves by damp-wiping with a soft cloth to discourage pests and diseases as well as get rid of dust to increase surface area for light absorption.

Spineless Yucca Propagation

Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) propagation is best done at the beginning growing season from stem cuttings, offsets or by seed germination.

Learn how to Propagate Spineless Yucca by 4 Easy Methods).

Yucca gigantea Problems & Remedies

Indoor Yucca gigantea problems are plant dying, yellow leaves, leaf spots and diseases. Keep reading for more on these problems and their solutions.

Plant dying

Yucca gigantea is dying due to root-rot disease which is brought about by soggy soil. The disease is characterized by general yellowing and browning accompanied by rotting followed by plant collapse.

How to fix it

1. Remove the plant from its pot, wash off the soil and inspect the roots.


2. Cut away brown-black, mushy roots as they indicate root-rot. In addition, cut away any stems showing any signs of rot.


3. Treat the healthy roots with a copper-based fungicide as indicated by the manufacturer.


4. Disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the plant in fresh soil.


5. Use a pot with a drainage hole and free-draining soil to prevent sogginess.


6. Water the plant with the fungicidal solution and place it in a warm, well-lit spot.


7. Stop watering until when new growth appears, avoid overwatering and soggy soil thereafter.

Yellow leaves

Some of the causes of yellow leaves on your Spineless Yucca are inconsistent watering, soggy soil, temperature stress, too little light, salts buildup or pests and diseases.

How to fix it

Inconsistent watering: Water the plant when the top 2-3 inches of the soil feel dry to touch; do not water on a schedule.

Soggy soil: Use a fast-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole.

Temperature stress: Keep the plant away from sources of drafts likeAC units, open doors, drafty windows, hot air vents, heat sources among others.

Too little light: Position the plant in very bright light with 6-8 hours of morning or late afternoon sunshine or use a grow light if the natural lighting is not enough.

Salts buildup: Occasionally, leach out excess salts by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage hole.

Pests and diseases: Regularly inspect the plant for pests and diseases and take timely control measures.

Brown, moist leaf spots

Brown, moist leaf spots on Yucca gigantea are an indication of leaf spot disease which is promoted by overdamp conditions coupled with poor air circulation. The disease may affect the appearance of the leaves but it does not affect the health of the plant.

Pests

Spineless Yucca is highly resistant to pests but weak plants can be attacked by scale insects, moth borers, weevils and mealybugs.

How to fix it

1. Isolate the affected plant to minimize spread to other plants.


2. Treat the infested plant with neem oil or insecticidal soap. Ensure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.


3. Regularly inspect the plant for these pests and take timely control measures.


4. Keep the plant well pruned to depress the pests populations.

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