Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Pale Leaf Yucca
Pale leaf yucca is a small, clumping yucca with flexible, pale blue-green leaves edged in fine, light-colored teeth. It stays about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, so it fits borders, gravel beds and pots. In late spring it sends up a tall stalk of large, pure white, bell-shaped flowers. It needs little water once rooted and is rated to about -10°F.
Best for: low accents along borders and gravel beds, groups planted as a groundcover, and pots on a patio.
At 1 to 2 feet tall, its pale blue-green rosette works as a low accent along borders, bed edges and gravel beds. Its pale color stands out against darker green plants.
Set plants about 2 to 3 feet apart to fill in as a low groundcover of blue-green rosettes. Once rooted, they share the low watering of a desert bed.
Its small size suits a pot on a patio or courtyard, as long as the mix drains fast. The tall white flower stalk in late spring is a bonus.
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 leaves are flexible but end in a sharp tip, so keep it back from walkways and play areas.
- Closer mass planting2 ft apart
- Groundcover group2-3 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. 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 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.
How big does pale leaf yucca get?
It stays small, about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. The flower stalk rises well above the leaves, up to about 6 feet.
How fast does pale leaf yucca grow?
It grows at a slow to moderate pace. If you want a fuller plant right away, the 15 Gallon size gives you a head start.
Does pale leaf yucca need full sun?
It grows best in full sun, and it also grows in part sun.
How often should I water pale leaf 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.
Is pale leaf yucca cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated hardy to about -10°F, so it needs no frost cover in the Valley.
What soil does pale leaf yucca need?
Plant it in fast-draining soil. Alkaline, sandy or rocky native soil is fine, but it should never sit in soggy ground. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Can I grow pale leaf yucca in a pot?
Yes. Its small size suits a pot, as long as you use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
When does pale leaf yucca bloom?
It blooms in late spring, with a tall stalk of large, pure white, bell-shaped flowers. It does not die after blooming the way an agave does. Cut the spent stalk low once the flowers fade.
How far apart should I plant pale leaf yucca?
Plant them about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center, for a group or groundcover.
Are the leaves sharp?
The leaves are flexible, but each one ends in a sharp tip. Keep it back from walkways, pool edges and play areas.
Is pale leaf 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 leaf tips can also injure a pet.
Why is my pale leaf yucca rotting or collapsing?
The usual causes are soggy soil and a snout weevil whose grubs bore into the base. Wilting or leaning leaves and a soft base are warning signs. Cut back on water, and remove a collapsed plant with the soil around it.
Pale Leaf Yucca for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Pale leaf yucca is a small Texas yucca with soft blue-green color and a tall stalk of white flowers in late spring. It stays low enough for borders, groups and pots, on little water. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most about growing it.
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How big pale leaf yucca gets
Plan for a rosette about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. In late spring the flower stalk rises up to about 6 feet.
How far apart to plant pale leaf yucca
Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center. That fills in as a low groundcover of blue-green rosettes.
Watering pale leaf 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 thing to avoid.
Pale leaf yucca in pots
Its small size suits a pot on a patio, as long as the mix drains fast.
Pale leaf yucca sun and shade
Full sun is best, and it also grows in part sun. In any spot, the soil needs to drain fast.
Where pale leaf yucca comes from
It is native to north-central Texas. Its flexible leaves are about 1 inch wide and 1 foot long, pale blue-green with finely toothed, light-colored edges.
Pale leaf yucca flowers
In late spring it sends up a tall stalk of large, pure white, bell-shaped flowers. Unlike an agave, it keeps growing after bloom. Cut the old stalk low when it fades.
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.