Yucca plants are deserts plants that are now being largely grown in home gardens and yards for ornamental reasons. These plants look very different than an average topical plant and can enhance the beauty of your garden by manifolds.
But many people grow impatient in the process of growing them.
So how fast do Yucca plants grow? How can you make them grow faster? We have some answers for you.
How fast do yucca plants grow?
Yucca plants are slow-growers and they can take at least two to three years to grow into maturity. And they will take at least five years to bloom with flower spikes. While Yucca plants are quite low maintenance, you will have to be very patient with them and allow them to grow at their own pace.
How much does a yucca plant grow in a year?
There are several factors that contribute to the growth of a Yucca plant, including your water scheduling, soil condition of the region, sun exposure, and how much space is available for its roots. All these factors will determine how much does your Yucca plant grows in a year.
There are many varieties of Yucca plants, some are slow growers while others are fast growers. You will have to be very patient with the slow grower because they might grow as little as only a few inches in a year.
An average slow-growing Yucca plant will most likely grow about 5 inches in a year. And as for the fast-growing Yucca plants, they will grow up to two feet in a year. These plants eventually reach a height up to 1530 feet, with their roots expanding over a large area underground.
Do yuccas grow fast?
Yucca has many varieties. Some of them are fast-growing and some are slow. However, most Yucca plants take about two to three years to be fully mature. On the other hand, some Yucca species grow so slowly that they will take a few decades to grow mature.
Note that the slower they grow the further their roots expand.
How fast do yucca trees grow indoors?
Yucca trees grow slowly indoors. If you plant them in a pot indoors they will take at least five years to mature. Meanwhile, you won’t have to replant or prune your plant.
In addition, when grown indoors, their roots do not expand as large as they would outdoors which makes them much less invasive and easy to maintain.
Yucca plants do not require much water or the sun to grow indoors as well. So overall, they are a very low-maintenance plant. All in all, Yucca plants serve incredible ornamental purposes indoors.
How long does it take for a yucca plant to mature?
The duration for a Yucca plant to gain maturity depends on the variety of plants you have. But most Yucca plants take about 2 to 3 years to mature and they need at least 5 years to grow spikes.
However, there are some large Yucca plants that take several decades to mature, sometimes taking as long as 50 years.
So before you plant a Yucca tree, make sure to check what variety it is and how fast it grows. This will help you determine how long it might take for that particular variety to mature.
How to make yucca grow faster?
Yucca plants may be both slow or fast-growing plants, depending on which variety you have planted. But regardless of that, here are a few things you methods you can follow to grow your Yucca plant faster.
Water regularly:
While Yucca plants are succulent and have the capability to survive in drought, they always grow faster when you water them regularly. You should especially water the plant on a regular basis during their growing months, in the spring and summer.
Ensure smooth draining:
Yucca plants do not care for the type of soil much. But you will have to pay special attention to ensuring an even drainage for the plant. This will make your plant very happy and allow it to grow much faster.
Choose an ideal location:
This is a very important consideration when you’re planting a Yucca. Make sure that you have planted it at a significant distance from the house, boundary walls, sidewalks, and driveways.
This way, you will not have to cut the roots anytime soon, allowing the Yucca to grow faster.
How can I make my yucca grow tall?
The best way to make your Yucca grow tall is to prune it every now and then. Here are the steps that you can follow:
Trim the Yucca:
Use a blade to cut off the lower leaves in the plant. This step is called removing the skirt of the Yucca. Make sure that you’re cutting the leaves as close to the branch as you can.
While this step will help your yucca grow faster, you can leave the leaves on the tree if you prefer it bushy.
Cut short flower stalks:
You will have to do this step after the plant has bloomed. During its blooming season, you will find many white flowers growing from the top of the Yucca. Take one of those flower stalks and cut them about 10 cm above the stalk’s base.
Dispose of trimmed stalks:
Once you have trimmed the plant cosmetically, make sure to dispose of all the leaves and flower stalks. You can use these as compost for the same plant.
How do yucca plants reproduce?
Yucca plants reproduce through side tips as well as seeds. But seeds produce a sprout relatively. Even then it will take about a year for the seeds to produce a sprout.
In the deserts, seeds from a Yucca plant scatter around the mother plant and wait for the rain. They will then germinate to reproduce.
Do yucca plants have seeds?
Yes, Yucca plants have seeds. It helps them reproduce. The success rate of Yucca plants’ reproduction is relatively lower, so they spread a lot of seeds around them so that at least a few can eventually turn into a tree. Even then, it takes at least a year for a Yucca seed to produce a sprout.
How to get seeds from a yucca plant?
To get the seeds from a yucca plant, you will first need to collect the seed pods from its branches. You can simply handpick them. Afterward, you will have to dry the seed pods and wait for them to be ready to open.
Once the seed pods are ready, simply crack them open. You will find seeds from the yucca plants inside the pods.
When do yucca plants grow?
The ideal time for a yucca to grow is from mid-summer to early fall. It depends on the variety of Yucca that you have. However, Yucca continues to grow throughout the year, although not at the same pace.
In general, Yucca plants grow comfortably when the temperature is moderate. The ideal climatic condition for most Yucca plants to grow is when the average temperature is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, they grow best when the ground begins to warm.
There are winter hardy Yucca plants as well, who can grow effortlessly in winter. They can grow at temperatures up to -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
When to plant yucca seeds?
The ideal time for planting Yucca seeds mainly depends on where you’re planning to plant them. If you’re planting the tree indoors, then you should plant Yucca seeds in winter. This will allow the seeds to take as long as they want to germinate before the next fall.
As for the outdoors, it is often not effective to plant a Yucca directly using seeds. The success rate is far less. But if you want to do it anyway, make sure that you’re sowing the seeds in early spring.
How to plant yucca seeds?
To plant yucca seeds, it’s best to use a pot or a container. Use a sterile container in this case. The ideal temperature for the soil would be about 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keep the soil a little moist, so that it becomes ready to accommodate the seeds. And now you can plant yucca seeds in the container.
Should yucca plants be cut back in the fall?
You don’t necessarily have to cut back Yucca plants in the fall. You can prune a Yucca plant at any time of the year. That being said, the ideal time to cut back the Yucca plant is right before its best growing season.
That is to say, the best time to cut back a Yucca plant is in early spring. Pruning it in spring will improve its growth in the coming season, allowing the plant to grow better.
Final Thoughts:
The growth rate of a Yucca plant-primarily depends on the type of variety. There are many slow-growing as well as fast-growing varieties of Yucca. But most of the Yucca plants take at least 2 to 3 years to grow. However, slower-growing plants can take as long as 50 to 60 years to grow fully mature.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Big & Tall Do Yucca Plants Grow?
Is a Yucca a Cactus or Succulent?
Can a Yucca Plant Live Outside and Inside?