Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Banana Yucca
Banana yucca is a low, clumping Arizona native with stiff blue-green leaves trimmed in curly white fibers. It grows slowly to about 3 to 5 feet tall and spreads wider over time. In spring it sends up creamy white, bell-shaped flowers, followed by fleshy, banana-shaped fruit that is edible when cooked. It takes full sun, reflected heat or part shade on little water, and is rated to about -20°F.
Best for: a low native accent in gravel yards, a spiny barrier planting, hot walls with reflected heat, and native plantings with edible fruit.
Its stiff blue-green leaves with curly white fibers form a low clump that stays about 3 to 5 feet tall. It gives a gravel yard or native bed strong texture year round.
The stiff, sharp-tipped leaves make it a natural security planting or barrier. Use it where you want to keep people from cutting through or reaching an area.
It grows in full sun, takes reflected heat off a hot wall, and also handles part shade. Once rooted, it needs little water in any of those spots.
Soggy or poorly drained soil causes root rot, the most common way to lose a yucca. A snout weevil can bore into the base and cause sudden collapse. The sharp tips make it a poor fit next to walkways, pools and play areas.
- Closer planting2 ft apart
- Wider planting3 ft apart
Keep the root area slightly damp until a new plant roots in, then stretch the time between waterings. Once rooted, soak it deeply about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer, less in spring and fall, and little or none in winter. Let the soil dry between soakings. Older plants can get by on rain for much of the year.
Plant it at the same depth it grew and keep the same side facing south. Shade a new plant with shade cloth until new growth shows. It does not need any fertilizer.
Old leaves fold down into a shaggy skirt, and removing them is optional. Cut each spent flower stalk low after it finishes. It blooms again in later years.
Snout weevils are the main insect pest of yuccas. Leaves wilt or lean, the base goes soft, and the plant collapses. Good drainage and little water once rooted keep it healthy. Remove a collapsed plant and the soil around it so grubs do not spread.
It is rated hardy to about -20°F, so it needs no frost cover. Keep the soil on the dry side in winter, since wet, cool soil leads to rot.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does banana yucca get?
Usually 3 to 5 feet tall and about 5 to 6 feet wide. Older plants can form clumps of several heads that spread 8 to 10 feet.
How fast does banana yucca grow?
It is a slow grower. Extra water helps it grow a little faster, but it stays a slow plant.
How often should I water banana yucca?
Water more often at first, until it roots in. After that, soak it deeply about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer, less in spring and fall, and little or none in winter. Older plants can get by on rain for much of the year.
Does banana yucca need full sun?
It grows best in full sun and takes reflected heat off a hot wall. It also handles part shade, so it works on an east or north side too.
Is banana yucca cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated hardy to about -20°F, so it needs no frost protection in the Valley.
What soil does banana yucca need?
Plant it in fast-draining soil. Dry, sandy, rocky or alkaline native soil is fine, but it should never sit in soggy ground. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Is banana yucca fruit edible?
Yes, it is edible when cooked. The fleshy, banana-shaped fruit is usually baked or roasted and tastes a bit like potato. It was a traditional food for Native Americans. Fruit depends on yucca moths pollinating the flowers, so not every bloom sets fruit.
When does banana yucca bloom?
In late spring to early summer, with creamy white, bell-shaped flowers on stalks about 2 to 3 feet tall. It does not die after blooming the way an agave does. Cut the spent stalk low once it fades.
Does banana yucca need pruning?
It needs very little pruning. Cut off spent flower stalks and remove dead leaves as they appear. It does not need any fertilizer.
Are the leaves sharp?
Yes. The stiff leaves end in sharp tips that can pierce skin. Plant it well back from walkways, pool edges, seating and play areas.
Is banana yucca toxic to pets?
Yucca is listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. In dogs and cats, chewing the plant usually causes vomiting. The sharp leaf tips can also injure a pet. Plant it where pets cannot chew it, and call your vet if they do.
Why did my banana yucca collapse?
The usual causes are root rot from soggy soil and a snout weevil whose grubs bore into the base. Wilting or leaning leaves and a soft base are warning signs. Remove a collapsed plant and the soil around it so grubs don't spread to nearby yuccas and agaves.
Banana Yucca for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Banana yucca is a low, clumping yucca native to Arizona, named for its fleshy, banana-shaped fruit. It gives a desert yard bold blue-green texture and spring flowers on little water. This page covers size, water, sun, cold, the edible fruit and snout weevils in a Valley yard.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big banana yucca gets
Plan for 3 to 5 feet tall and about 5 to 6 feet wide. Older clumps with several heads can spread 8 to 10 feet, so give it room.
Is banana yucca native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in Arizona and across the Southwest, from California and Nevada to Texas, and into Mexico. Yucca moths pollinate its flowers.
Eating banana yucca fruit
The fleshy fruit is edible once baked or roasted, with a flavor a bit like potato. Plants only set fruit when yucca moths pollinate the flowers.
Watering banana yucca in Phoenix
Water more often until it roots in. Then soak deeply about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer, less in spring and fall, and little or none in winter. Soggy soil is the main risk.
How far apart to plant banana yucca
Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center, for a mass planting. Each clump grows about 5 to 6 feet wide, so leave more room if you want them to stay separate.
Banana yucca vs soaptree yucca
Banana yucca stays low, about 3 to 5 feet, with stiff, wide leaves and fleshy edible fruit. Soaptree grows into a tall, tree-like yucca with narrow, flexible leaves. Both grow wild in Arizona.
Banana yucca as a barrier plant
Its stiff, sharp-tipped leaves make it a natural security planting or barrier where you want to keep people out. Keep it away from paths people use every day.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.