Return to Library Home Page


Scientific: Yucca guatemalensis (Synonyms: Yucca elephantipes, Yucca gigantea)
Common: spineless yucca, giant yucca, elephant foot yucca
Family: Asparagaceae (subfamily Agavoideae)
Origin: central America

Pronounciation: YUK-ka gu-a-te-mal-EN-sis

Hardiness zones
Sunset
13-24
USDA 9-11

Landscape Use: Accent, focal point, Spanish architecture, tropical to subtropical, parks and large greens spaces, classic large mesic yucca.

Form & Character: Strongly upright and arborescent, trunk tapers broadly at ground level, tropical. Suggests that one is living in a 1970s era apartment complex.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, fibrous, monocot perennial large shrub to small, moderately upright to 10- to 30-feet tall, multiple trunk, basally branching.

Foliage/Texture: Strap-like medium green leaves, 2.5-feet long by 2- to 3-inches wide, tapering to a sharp tip, somewhat bendable, loosely set on stems; coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Panicles of white flowers followed by 6-ribbed fruits.

Seasonal Color: Cream white flowers during early summer.

Temperature: Hardy to 20oF

Light: Partial sun, absolutely NO western summer sun.

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Only somewhat drought tolerant, looks best with regular water.

Pruning: Remove old leaves and/or unwanted basal branches.

Propagation: Mosly stem cutting root fast by merely sticking a large stem segment into the ground outdoors.

Disease and pests: Spider mites

Additional comments: This is a VERY LARGE MESIC yucca that I think is rather poorly suited for Phoenix landscape settings (it rarely looks healthy and not stressed out). Don't over estimate its ultimate size, even in Phoenix where its eventual size is smaller than in more tropical climates.