How to Grow and Care for Banana Yucca

Also called banana yucca, or datil yucca, Yucca baccata, is a cactus-like succulent known for its fleshy, sweet seedpods that range from green to dark purple. Given the name, it's not surprising that these are the size and shape of a banana (although they taste more like sweet potatoes).

This type of yucca is native to the Southwest United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and the Death Valley area of California) as well as northern Mexico. It shares the same mounded clumps of stiff, sword-shaped leaves with all the other varieties of yucca. Yucca baccata often grows with sagebrush, pinyon juniper, or ponderosa pine in its natural environment. It is a slow-growing plant that is best planted in the spring. The banana yucca is non-invasive.

The banana yucca will grow tall spikes of creamy, often purple-tinged bell-shaped flowers that are densely arranged in the spring. They may not bloom every year, as these plants need to recuperate and rebuild a healthy store of carbohydrates before blooming again. The plants generally remain stemless but can form in large clusters. Its blue-green leaves, which are concave on top and convex underneath, create a large rosette.

Unlike many other varieties of both yucca and agave, the Yucca baccata's flowers grow on a short stalk that will either remain level with the top of the plant or rise slightly above.

Along with its seedpods being consumed as food, yucca leaves also have a variety of uses, including being woven into baskets or used to make brushes. However, be aware that yucca is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Banana Yucca Care

The yucca baccata requires very little water and practically no maintenance. It can take several years for the plant to bloom, however.

These plants are probably not the best choice if you have kids or pets. The banana yucca's leaf blades are incredibly sharp and as stated previously, this plant is toxic to pets.

Light

The banana yucca grows best in either full sun or part shade.

Water

Once they are established, the yucca baccata plant will require only occasional watering. Although these plants are drought-tolerant, they will grow best with regular irrigation. However, try to stick to one watering per week during warm weather, as you won't want to overwater. If the leaf tips begin turning brown, cut back on your watering.

Soil

Yucca varieties of all types prefer dry, sandy soil, however, they can adapt to any well-drained soil. The banana yucca will not be able to tolerate soggy conditions.

Temperature and Humidity

Although banana yucca is a desert plant that grows in the southwestern United States and Mexico, it is a surprisingly hardy succulent and can tolerate the cold.

Fertilizer

Banana yucca plants can be fertilized each spring. Just be sure to choose a balanced, slow-release fertilizer.

Types of Yucca

There are many types of yucca plants, including:

• Soapweed Yucca: This southwestern variety has spikes and large white flowers.
• Beargrass Yucca: A yucca variety with softer leaves, the beautiful, vibrant flowers produce a strong fragrance.
• Faxon Yucca: Also known as Spanish dagger, this yucca variety has spiked leaves and ivory bell-shaped flowers.

Pruning

You can remove the banana yucca's old flower stalks before its new growth emerges in the early spring. Just be sure to protect yourself from its spiky stalks and razor-sharp leaf blades with gloves and a long-sleeved shirt.

Propagating Yucca Baccata

Yucca baccata can be divided as an offset from an established plant, or it can also be propagated by cuttings, as yucca leaves root fairly easily. Here's how:

By Offset:

1. At the base of the mature plant, locate an offset.
2. With pruning shears, cut the offset, just under the soil, from the parent.
3. Plant the offset in a container prepared with potting soil and then water until just moist.
4. Let it root in the pot for about three to four weeks before transplanting in the desired location.

By Cuttings:

1. Select and cut a healthy yucca leaf from the mature plant.
2. Plant the leaf in a container prepared with potting soil and water until the soil is moist.
3. Let it root in the pot for about three to four weeks, and then transplant in your yard.
   

Growing Banana Yucca From Seeds

While you can grow yucca from seeds, it is so easy to divide or use a cutting from a mature plant. Growing from seeds, with the germination process typically taking about three to four weeks, is a bit of a gamble with this plant.

Potting and Repotting

Banana yucca can be planted indoors or outdoors in a large container with potting soil. These plants are slow growing, so can be enjoyed for a while in a container before becoming too large. Pet owners and people with children should be careful with this plant due to its toxicity for pets and its leaves' very sharp points, which could be harmful to a child. 

Overwintering

Banana yucca can withstand freezing temperatures up to 15℉ when planted in the ground. However, if planted in pots, protect their roots from the freezing temps by applying a layer of mulch and then laying plastic or a thick cloth over it. You should also cut back watering in the fall as you approach the colder weather.

Common Pests

Banana yucca tends to get spider mites. This very small pest can be noticed by the silky fine webs they spin on the plant and the damage they do by sucking the juice out of the leaves. The spider mite can be eradicated by using neem oil or chemical pesticides.

How to Get Banana Yucca to Bloom

Banana yucca blooms in late spring with spikes of creamy white flowers. It can take several years for the plant to bloom, and it doesn't always bloom every year. In order to encourage blooming, make sure to fertilize in early spring and water every couple of weeks once they have bloomed to ensure the blooms last. Deadhead the flowers at the end of the bloom cycle to help the plant bloom again the following season. Note that it can take many years for a young plant to bloom.