Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Yucca schidigera
Yucca schidigera, the Mojave yucca, is a tree-like desert yucca native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, including northwest Arizona. It grows very slowly to 5 to 15 feet on one trunk or a few, topped with stiff, yellow-green to blue-green leaves edged in curly fibers. In spring it sends up clusters of white bells tinged with purple. Once rooted it lives on very little water.
Best for: a native desert accent in full sun, very low water yards, and native plantings away from foot traffic.
It grows wild in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, including northwest Arizona. It fits a native desert yard with other low-water plants.
Once rooted it needs only occasional summer water when monsoon rains fall short. Give it full sun and well-drained soil.
It slowly builds a trunk 5 to 15 feet tall, sometimes branching or forming a small cluster of trunks. The stiff leaves carry curly fibers along their edges.
The leaf tips are rigid and dangerously sharp, so keep it far from walkways, play areas and pools. It grows very slowly, under half an inch a year in the wild. Soggy soil causes root rot.
- Group planting5 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 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.
Is Yucca schidigera native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, and in Arizona it is found in the northwest part of the state.
How big does Mojave yucca get?
It grows 5 to 15 feet tall, sometimes a little taller, and about 5 feet wide. It can have one trunk or a few.
How fast does Mojave yucca grow?
It is a very slow grower. In the wild the trunk grows under half an inch a year, so buy the size you want to see.
How often should I water Yucca schidigera?
Water more often until it roots in. After that it needs very little, just an occasional summer soaking when monsoon rains fall short.
Is Mojave yucca cold hardy?
Yes. It is rated hardy to about 10°F.
When does Mojave yucca bloom?
Mostly in spring, sometimes into late summer. White bell-shaped flowers tinged with purple come in clusters up to about 3 feet long. It does not die after blooming.
Are the leaves sharp?
Yes. The leaf tips are rigid and dangerously sharp and can injure people and pop balls. Plant it well away from walkways, play areas and pools.
What pollinates Mojave yucca?
A small yucca moth pollinates it. The two depend on each other.
Is this the yucca used in pet food?
Yes. Extracts of Yucca schidigera are used in some animal feeds. That is different from a pet chewing the plant, which is listed as toxic.
Is Mojave 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.
What soil does it need?
Plant it in well-drained soil in full sun. It should never sit in soggy ground. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Yucca schidigera for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Yucca schidigera, also called Mojave yucca, is a slow, tree-like yucca native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. It gives a desert yard a tall native shape on very little water. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most about it.
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Is Mojave yucca native to Arizona?
Yes. Yucca schidigera grows wild in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, including northwest Arizona.
How big Yucca schidigera gets
Plan for 5 to 15 feet tall and about 5 feet wide. It grows very slowly on one trunk or a small cluster.
Watering Mojave yucca in the Valley
Water more often until it roots in. Then give it only an occasional summer soaking when the monsoon is dry. Wet, poorly drained soil causes rot.
Mojave yucca flowers
In spring it sends up clusters of white bells tinged with purple, up to about 3 feet long. A small yucca moth pollinates them.
Yucca schidigera in pet food
Extracts of this yucca are used in some animal feeds. People in the desert also used its fibers for rope and sandals.
How far apart to plant Mojave yucca
Set plants about 5 feet apart, the width of a mature plant. Keep them well back from paths because the leaf tips are sharp.
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