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Low Maintenance Red Yucca Plant

Low Maintenance Red Yucca Plant

Red Yucca Plants Also known as HESPERALOE PRAVIFLORA, is a member of the century plant family and is native to the deserts of Texas and Northeastern Mexico.

It is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that produces showy, reddish coral blooms from spring through midsummer. This is why it is known as one of the best performing landscape succulents for the low and middle elevations of Arizona.

This amazing plant can grow up and spread up to 9 feet but is mostly seen between 3 to 5 feet. Although Red Yucca is not a true Yucca, the leathery, arching leaves are very similar. However, the leaves have a more glass-like appearance, and they produce no spikes or thorns. This plant’s blooming begins in early summer and is green, continuing for most of the rest of the year.

Red Yucca grows best under full sun and can tolerate cold winters as far north as USDA plant hardiness zone 5, which is about -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

These plants are gifted in surviving droughts. Living in the deserts of Arizona, Texas, or Mexico is not an easy feat. Red Yucca skins on the leaves are thick and waxy for a specific reason and this combination of features allows the plant to store water without losing it to evaporation. As a succulent, you run the risk of overwatering your plant. Generally, the Red Yucca plant would like to receive about one to two gallons of water a month. Their more active growing months, in spring and summer, require more water while the rest of the year they will be just fine with a thorough watering every two to three weeks.

The plant thrives nearly well in any well-drained soil, but sandy soil is ideal. They can grow in large containers filled with a well-drained potting medium such as regular potting soil mixed with sand or perlite. Be sure the pot has at least one good drainage hole.

The Red Yucca plant is not prone to diseases or pests but may be infested by aphids or scale insects. Sadly, the species of Yucca plants are toxic to cats and dogs as they contain poisonous substances in their leaves that are known as “saponins”. Humans would get rashes while it provokes vomiting in dogs.

Fun fact! The Red Yucca plant is known by other common names such as Coral Yucca, Redflower False Yucca, and Hummingbird Yucca. Specifically, the Hummingbird Yucca name was derived because Hummers love the nectar-rich, tube shaped blooms that the Red Yucca has.

ADVANTAGES	RED YUCCA PLANT PROBLEMS	5 WAYS TO ENSURE A COLORFUL RED YUCCA PLANT
LOW MAINTENANCE NEEDS	BROWNING OF LEAVES The reason behind brown leaves is generally because you’ve given the plant too much water.	MAKE SURE THAT THE SOIL CONTAINS SOME SAND FOR THE BEST RESULTS
USE ORNAMENTAL Rocky hillside, rock gardens, desert landscape, perennial garden, blooms ornamental, attractive, accent, long-lived, great for large pot culture	SPONGY TRUNK At the very center of the Red Yucca plant is a trunk. If it feels sponge-like in its texture, you once again are overwatering the plant.	PLENTY OF FULL SUN IS CRUCIAL
USE WILDLIFE Deer browse the foliage, while the flowers attract hummingbirds, Nectar-hummingbirds, Fruit-deer	BROWN TIPS ON THE LEAVES If the tips of the leaves turn brown it is safe to assume that the Red Yucca is getting too much fluoride. Fluoride toxicity is a direct result of the water that you use.	ONLY WATER YOUR RED YUCCA PLANT ONCE A WEEK
CONSPICUOUS FLOWER Flowers are large enough to be visually pleasing	WHITE SPLOTCHES AND DISINTEGRATION Usually there is a bug that goes after the Red Yucca plant. An insecticidal soap can be used to treat the affected areas, and anywhere else that it may spread.	KEEP THE HUMIDITY RATHER LOW IF YOU CAN HELP IT
–	–	STAY ON TOP OF PRUNING TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN’T BECOME UNKEPT