How Big Does A Yucca Grow? [By Type Of Yucca]

Yucca plants are known for their versatility and easy maintenance. Their heartiness makes them ideal houseplants as well as great outdoor plants. However, if you're trying to decide whether you have enough space for a yucca, you need to know how big they grow. Well, we've done the work and have an answer for you.

There are a large number of species of yucca so how big a yucca grows depends on the type of yucca you have. Smaller yucca houseplants can range from 2' to 4' tall, but if left to grow, larger outside yucca plants like Joshua Trees can get upwards of 30' feet tall. For their width, yucca plants, with their protruding leaves, can grow as wide as they are tall. 

So now you know the general height and width a yucca plant might grow, but keep reading as we elaborate on this and the factors that play a role in a yucca plant's growth. We'll also answer some other questions you might have about yucca plants, including preventing them from growing too tall.

Growth Of Yucca Plants By Type Of Yucca

Since there are so many species of yucca plants, we'll stick to discussing the more popular types—the ones you'll likely find in your home or yard. Giving your yucca plant too much water or fertilizer can all impact your yuccas growth. Because yuccas are very slow-growing, they only need a little water and fertilizer. 

Yucca Canes

Yucca canes, or spineless yucca, are a common type of yucca plant found in homes. You can purchase them in pots that have one to three canes. You'll likely see them range from three feet to eight feet when sold as houseplants, but they can grow much taller. However, yucca plants are very slow-growing, so don't expect too much growth out of your plant very soon. 

Red or Yellow Yuccas 

Red yuccas, or hummingbird yuccas, as you might have guessed, are frequented by hummingbirds.  These yucca plants are often found outside and can grow up to five feet tall. The yearly flower stalks that the red yucca produces, and what makes them a favorite of hummingbirds, can grow much taller. The flower stalks can sometimes reach up to nine feet tall. There is also a variety that produces yellows blooms called yellow yuccas. 

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Adam's Needle Yuccas

Another popular landscaping yucca, Adam's needle, can reach up to 10 feet tall. The sharp-looking leaves typically reach around two to three feet high, with the flower stem claiming the rest of the height. 

Soaptree Yucca

Soaptree yucca's flower stems can range from three to 20 feet tall. The plants themselves can be as wide as eight feet. 

How Do You Prevent A Yucca From Growing Taller?

Obviously, if left unmanaged, yuccas can get to some pretty impressive heights. Fortunately, you can prevent a yucca from growing taller simply by cutting it. The yuccas get their height from their flower stems or, for the household variety, their canes.

Landscaping Yuccas

To prevent landscape yuccas from growing taller, you can cut the flower stalk about three to four inches from the bottom of the stalk. You don't have to wait for the flowers to be done blooming to do this. 

Yuccas Inside Your Home

For yucca plants you have in your home, you can cut them at the cane. Any part of the cane will do. Yucca's can recover quite easily as long as they are given plenty of sunlight. They should start sprouting new foliage relatively soon.

Do Yuccas Need Pruning? 

You don't have to prune yuccas unless you want to manage their growth and appearance. However, yuccas can be propagated, which means you can create new yucca plants from the parts of the yucca you are pruning. We touched on pruning yuccas above when we discussed how to stop them from growing too tall. 

Pruning a yucca is actually pretty easy. The best time to prune a yucca is at the beginning of spring. However, as long as you give the plant plenty of sunshine to recover, you can prune it at any time of the year. 

Yucca plant leaves are sharp, so make sure you wear proper protection to handle them while you prune them. 

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Pruning A Yucca Cane

To prune a yucca Cane, you can cut the cane of the yucca. You can use a pair of loppers, or a hand saw for this. If you wish to propagate the plant, simply pot the part of the plant you cut. 

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Pruning A Landscape Yucca

Pruning a yucca in your yard can involve cutting down the flower stems or the leaves. You can use a sharp pair of pruning shears or loppers to trim the flower stems after they have bloomed for the season or even before. Yuccas are resilient, so as long as they get lots of sunlight to help them recover, it can be difficult to go wrong. 

Pruning doesn't have to just be because of growth; some people choose to prune their yucca for cosmetic reasons as well. You can prune away any damaged leaves or just remove leaves you don't like. Begin at the bottom of the plant and work your way up. 

Yucca plants you find outside usually have sharper leaves than the ones you might have in your home. If you have young children running around outside, you may want to cut off the sharper points of the plant by cutting the leaves at a 45-degree angle. You will have to keep doing this every few months or so to keep them dull. 

Do Yucca Plants Spread?

Yucca plants don't just grow upwards. As they can be propagated so easily, it might not be surprising that they can also spread. 

Yucca plants can spread and can quickly get out of control if you don't keep an eye on the situation. Yuccas spread by rhizomes. Rhizomes are a type of stem that produces new roots and shoots. These rhizomes create new yucca plants attached to the parent yucca plant by their roots. So, if you're not careful, you might end up with a mass of yucca plants that are all connected. 

How Often Do Yucca Plants Bloom?

First, it's important to note that the yucca plant will not bloom until it has matured, and maturity can take years. Even after maturity, your plant may not bloom unless certain conditions are correct. Once your yucca plant reaches maturity, it's possible that it will bloom every year. However, they sometimes bloom every two to three years instead. 

Yucca plants typically bloom sometime between spring and summer. However, it's possible they will bloom all year if you live in a warmer climate. Keep a record of the time your yucca plants bloom because they'll likely bloom around the same time the following year.

How Long Does A Yucca Live?

We previously mentioned that it could take years for yucca plants to mature, which evidently means they can survive for at least a few years, right?

Right! Yucca plants can live for years and years. You can expect about five years out of your yucca houseplant, but for yucca trees, you can expect them to survive even longer. Their versatility and ability to survive with little water and a lot of sunlight keeps them going. Add on the fact you can propagate yuccas, and you can admire them for a really long time. 

If you overwater a yucca plant, it can die or get root rot. So how much does it need? Well, check out our other blog post to find out: "How Much Water Does A Yucca Plant Need?"

Final Thoughts 

Yuccas can reach a variety of heights depending on whether they are plant or tree varieties. However, in general, they range from two feet to upwards of 30 feet. You can control growth by pruning and propagating the plant. These plants make great beginner plants for those who are worried they might forget to water their plants. 

For more tips on how to care for your Yucca plant, take a lot at our care guide here: "Yucca Palm Care Guide."