Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Beaked Yucca
Beaked yucca is a tree-like yucca with a round, powder-blue crown of narrow leaves on a trunk wrapped in a skirt of old leaves. It grows slowly to 6 to 15 feet, sends up tall stalks of white flowers in spring, and stays an architectural accent year round. It thrives in full sun and fast-draining soil on very little water and shrugs off cold down to about 0°F.
Best for: a bold focal accent at an entry or in a gravel bed, modern and desert gardens watered like agaves and cacti, and large patio pots with fast-draining soil.
Its dense, powder-blue crown sits on a trunk that can reach about 10 feet, wrapped in a skirt of old leaves. It usually grows on a single trunk, so it reads as one clean shape. Set it at an entry or in a gravel bed where it can be seen year round.
It grows in full sun or filtered sun and needs very little water once rooted. That puts it on the same deep, spaced-out watering as agaves and cacti. Plant it in soil that drains fast.
It grows well in a large pot as an accent for a patio or courtyard. Use a fast-draining cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole. Water deeply, then let the mix dry out before the next soaking.
Too much water or poorly drained soil causes root and crown rot, the most common way these yuccas die. Yucca weevil grubs can tunnel into the base and make it collapse. The leaves end in sharp tips, so keep it back from walkways, pool edges and play areas.
- Closer planting8 ft apart
- Wider planting12 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, and skip 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.
The yucca snout weevil attacks 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 to about -20°F. 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 beaked yucca get?
It grows about 6 to 15 feet tall with a crown 4 to 8 feet across, over many years. It usually grows on a single trunk, and older plants sometimes branch into several heads.
How fast does beaked yucca grow?
It grows slowly, roughly 4 to 8 inches a year in good conditions. Extra water speeds it up somewhat, but it will never be a fast plant, so buy the size you want to see.
Is beaked yucca cold hardy?
Yes, it is one of the most cold-hardy trunk-forming yuccas and is rated to about -20°F. Keep the soil on the dry side in winter, since cold, wet soil leads to rot.
How much water does beaked yucca need?
It needs very little water. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely before the next soaking, and water even less in winter. Overwatering is the most common reason these yuccas fail.
Does it need full sun in Phoenix?
Full sun is best, so give it an open, sunny spot. It tolerates filtered or partial shade, but in too little light the crown gets loose and the leaves stretch.
Should I trim the skirt on beaked yucca?
Trimming the skirt is up to you. Old leaves flatten against the trunk into a natural skirt, and many gardeners leave it. Removing them shows a soft gray trunk. Either way, cut off spent flower stalks.
What kills beaked yucca?
Mostly root and crown rot from too much water or poorly drained soil. Yucca weevil larvae can also tunnel into the base and cause sudden collapse. Soft, mushy leaves at the base or a bad smell from the crown are warning signs.
When does beaked yucca bloom?
It blooms in spring to early summer, with clusters of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers on tall stalks above the crown. Small yucca moths pollinate the flowers. Cut each stalk low once it finishes.
Are the leaves sharp?
Yes. Each narrow leaf ends in a sharp tip, so plant it well back from walkways, seating, pool edges and play areas.
Can I grow beaked yucca in a pot?
Yes. It makes a dramatic container accent in a large pot with a fast-draining cactus mix. Potted plants still need deep, infrequent watering.
Why is it called beaked yucca?
After bloom it sets seed capsules shaped like a bird's beak. The species name rostrata means beaked.
Is beaked yucca safe for dogs and cats?
Yucca is listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating it usually causes vomiting. Keep pets from chewing on it, and keep them away from the sharp leaf tips.
Beaked Yucca for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Beaked yucca is a slow, tree-form yucca with a round, powder-blue crown and one of the most cold-hardy yuccas grown in Arizona. It makes a year-round focal point on very little water. Below are the questions Valley gardeners ask most, from size and water to the leaf skirt, blooming and pests.
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How big does beaked yucca get?
Plan for about 6 to 15 feet tall over many years, with a round crown 4 to 8 feet across. It usually grows on a single trunk, and older plants sometimes branch into several heads.
Watering beaked yucca in Phoenix
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely before the next soaking. Water even less in winter. Overwatering is the most common reason these yuccas fail.
Beaked yucca growth rate
It grows slowly, about 4 to 8 inches a year, and a little faster with extra water. Because it is slow, the size you plant is the size you see for a while.
Should you trim the skirt on beaked yucca?
Old leaves fold down against the trunk into a shaggy skirt, and removing them is optional. Leave the skirt for a natural look, or remove it to show the soft gray trunk. Always cut spent flower stalks.
Is beaked yucca cold hardy in Arizona?
Yes. It takes no damage down to about 0°F, which makes it one of the most cold-hardy tree-form yuccas. Keep winter soil on the dry side to avoid rot.
Beaked yucca pests and problems
The main problems are root rot from too much water and the yucca weevil, whose grubs bore into the base. Watch for leaves that wilt or lean and a soft base. Good drainage and little water once rooted keep it healthy.
How far apart do you plant beaked yucca?
Plant them about 8 to 12 feet apart center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
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