Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Yucca faxoniana
Yucca faxoniana, also called Faxon yucca or giant dagger, is a tree-like yucca that slowly grows 10 to 20 feet tall, usually on a single trunk. Its stiff, dark green leaves carry brown edges and curly white fibers, and the old leaves fold down into a thick thatch. In spring and summer it sends up stalks of creamy white bells. It takes full sun, reflected heat and dry conditions, and is rated to about 0°F.
Best for: a large specimen for big yards and commercial landscapes, hot spots with reflected heat, and desert plantings with room to grow.
It slowly grows 10 to 20 feet tall, usually on one trunk topped by a big rosette of stiff leaves. It makes a showy specimen in large residential or commercial landscapes.
It wants full sun and takes reflected heat and very hot, dry conditions. Deep watering during summer keeps it looking its best.
The dark green leaves carry brown edges and curly white fibers. Old leaves fold down along the trunk into a thick thatch.
It grows very slowly, so buy the size you want to see. The leaves are sharp and the plant gets big, so keep it away from walkways and pool edges. Soggy soil leads to rot.
- 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 0°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 Yucca faxoniana get?
It can grow 10 to 20 feet tall and about 4 to 10 feet wide over many years. Most plants have a single trunk, but some form several.
How fast does Yucca faxoniana grow?
It is a very slow grower. It takes many years to build a trunk, so a larger size is the way to get height sooner.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart for a group. Give a single specimen room for its 4 to 10 foot spread. The Spacing tab has the details.
Can Yucca faxoniana take reflected heat?
Yes. It wants full sun and handles reflected heat and very hot, dry conditions.
How often should I water Yucca faxoniana?
Water more often until it roots in. After that it is drought tolerant, and a deep soak every few weeks in summer keeps it looking good. Let the soil dry between waterings.
Is Yucca faxoniana cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated hardy to about 0°F.
Should I trim the dead leaves?
Trimming them is up to you. The old leaves fold down along the trunk into a thick thatch. Leave it, or trim it for a cleaner trunk.
When does Yucca faxoniana bloom?
In spring into summer, on stalks about 3 to 4 feet tall with creamy white, bell-shaped flowers. It does not die after blooming.
Are the leaves sharp?
Yes. The leaves are stiff and sharp-pointed. Keep it away from walkways, pool edges and play areas.
Is Yucca faxoniana 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.
Where does Yucca faxoniana come from?
It grows on rocky slopes in west Texas and the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico, at about 2,700 to 6,500 feet.
Yucca faxoniana for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Yucca faxoniana is a Chihuahuan Desert tree yucca, also sold as Faxon yucca, Spanish dagger or giant white yucca. It grows slowly into a tall, single-trunk specimen with a thatched trunk. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most before planting one.
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Yucca faxoniana size in Arizona
Plan for 10 to 20 feet tall and 4 to 10 feet wide over many years. It usually grows on a single trunk with a thatch of old leaves.
Giant dagger yucca for reflected heat
It wants full sun and handles reflected heat and very hot, dry conditions. A deep soak every few weeks in summer keeps it looking good.
How far apart to plant Yucca faxoniana
Set plants about 4 to 6 feet apart for a group. A single specimen can spread 4 to 10 feet.
Yucca faxoniana growth rate
It is very slow growing. Buying a larger container size is the only real shortcut to height.
Yucca faxoniana flowers
In spring and summer it sends up stalks about 3 to 4 feet tall with creamy white bells. The plant keeps growing after it blooms.
Other names for Yucca faxoniana
It is also called Faxon yucca, Spanish dagger and giant white yucca. It comes from west Texas and northern Mexico.
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.