Yucca aloifolia or Spanish bayonet

Care of the shrub Yucca aloifolia or Spanish bayonet

The genus Yucca, family Asparagaceae, comprises 50 species of evergreen shrubs native to Mexico, the United States, and the Caribbean. Some species are: Yucca aloifolia, Yucca carnerosana, Yucca desmetiana, Yucca elephantipes, Yucca filifera, Yucca mixtecana, Yucca rostrata, Yucca schidigera, Yucca thompsoniana, Yucca gloriosa, Yucca whipplei, Yucca baccata.

Common names: Spanish bayonet, Dagger plant, Aloe yucca. This species is native to Mexico and USA.

They are erect shrubs that reach 8 meters (26.24 feet) in height. The leaves sprout on the upper part of the trunk, are rigid, light green, dark or variegated (depending on the variety), are 50 cm (1.64 feet) long and end in a spiny point. They produce attractive panicles of white flowers at the upper end of the stem. They bloom in summer and early fall.

They are used in pots as indoor plants, on terraces and patios, in bushy groups, on rockeries and isolated specimens (plant in remote areas of the garden to avoid prickles from the thorns). They are ideal plants for coastal gardens.

Yucca aloifolia prefers full sun exposure but also grows in light shade (at least 3 hours of direct sun a day). They appreciate a winter rest at 10-15 ºC (50-59 ºF). They resist occasional frosts down to -5 ºC (23 ºF).

The soil can be a mixture, in equal parts, of leaf mulch, siliceous sand and peat; they also grow on poor, sandy soils. Transplant in spring if the roots show below the pot.

Water moderately in spring and summer, waiting for the soil to dry out; reduce watering in fall and do not water in winter. They resist several days of drought.

Fertilize every 15 days in spring and summer with mineral fertilizer.

Prune the flower stem when the flowers have wilted.

They are very resistant plants to the usual pests and diseases.

They are propagated from the suckers that the plant itself produces at the base.