Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mountain Yucca
Mountain yucca is an Arizona native from the oak and pine-oak woodlands of the southeast Arizona mountains. It slowly grows into a tree-like yucca about 10 to 15 feet tall, with blue-green leaves on a mostly single trunk. It is one of the few yuccas that grows in the shade of trees or buildings, and it also takes full sun. In summer it sends up stalks of creamy white flowers.
Best for: a native accent in shady spots under trees or beside buildings, sunny native beds, and a tall native accent in desert beds.
It is one of the few yuccas that grows in the shade of trees or buildings. Use it as a shade accent under a tree or in the shade of a building.
It also grows in full sun, and it has done well in full sun through Phoenix summers. In the low desert, some protection from summer sun keeps it looking its best.
It grows about 10 to 15 feet tall on a mostly single trunk but only about 5 to 6 feet wide. It works as a tall native accent in a desert bed.
The leaf tips are sharp, so plant it clear of paths, pools and play areas. It needs well-drained soil, and soggy ground leads to rot. It grows slowly, so buy the size you want to see.
- Closer group4 ft apart
- Group planting4-6 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.
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 the fertilizer, since it does not need any.
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 pest to watch for on 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 -10°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.
Can mountain yucca grow in shade?
Yes. It is one of the few yuccas that grows in the shade of trees or buildings. It also grows in full sun.
Can mountain yucca take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes. It has done well in full sun through Phoenix summers. In the low desert, some protection from the summer sun keeps it looking its best.
How big does mountain yucca get?
It slowly grows about 10 to 15 feet tall and about 5 to 6 feet wide. Young plants have a single trunk, and older plants can form more than one.
How fast does mountain yucca grow?
It is a slow grower. The larger container sizes are the way to start with more height.
How far apart should I plant mountain yucca?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, or about 4 feet apart for a closer group. The Spacing tab shows both.
How often should I water mountain yucca?
Water more often until it roots in. After that it is drought tolerant, but regular deep watering keeps it looking its best in the low desert. Always let well-drained soil dry between soakings.
Is mountain yucca cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated hardy to about -10°F, far colder than a Valley winter, so it needs no frost protection.
Is mountain yucca native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in the oak and pine-oak woodlands of southeast Arizona's mountains, from about 4,000 feet up, and into New Mexico and northern Mexico.
When does mountain yucca bloom?
In summer, with creamy white flowers on a stalk about 3 feet tall, followed by fleshy green fruit. It does not die after blooming, so just cut the spent stalk low once it fades.
Are mountain yucca leaves sharp?
Yes. The leaves end in sharp tips. Plant it clear of paths, pool edges and play areas.
Is mountain yucca toxic to pets?
Yucca is listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. In dogs and cats, chewing it usually causes vomiting. The sharp tips can also injure a pet.
How is mountain yucca different from banana or soaptree yucca?
Its blue-green leaves have a narrow brown edge with no curly white threads. Banana and soaptree yucca leaves have those curly threads along the edges.
Mountain Yucca for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mountain yucca, also called Schott's yucca, is a tree-like yucca native to the mountains of southeast Arizona. It is unusual among yuccas because it grows in shade as well as sun. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most about growing it.
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A yucca that grows in shade
Mountain yucca is one of the few yuccas that grows in the shade of trees or buildings. It also takes full sun.
Mountain yucca in Phoenix sun
It has done well in full sun through Phoenix summers. Some protection from the summer sun keeps it looking its best in the low desert.
How tall does mountain yucca get?
Plan for about 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide. It grows slowly on a mostly single trunk, and older plants can form more trunks.
How far apart to plant mountain yucca
Space plants about 4 to 6 feet apart. Each one spreads about 5 to 6 feet across.
Watering mountain yucca in the Valley
Water more often until it roots in. After that it handles dry spells, but regular deep watering keeps it looking best here. Well-drained soil is a must.
Is mountain yucca native to Arizona?
Yes. It comes from the oak and pine-oak woodlands of southeast Arizona's mountains, about 4,000 feet and up. It also grows in southwest New Mexico and northern Mexico.
Mountain yucca vs banana yucca
Both are Arizona native yuccas. Mountain yucca has blue-green leaves with a plain brown edge and no curly white threads.
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.