Yucca can be found in many houses and apartments. The popularity of this houseplant is due to its exotic appearance and unpretentious care. Today, many varieties of yucca are bred. You will learn about the features of the most famous of them from this article.

General description of plants of the genus Yucca

Under the name yucca, a number of tree-like plants are combined with linear-lanceolate leaves with sharp ends arranged in a spiral arranged at the top of the trunk or shoots. They reach a length of up to 1 m. The stem they have is not too tall, maybe without branches or with them. There are species in which it is very low and inconspicuous.

Did you know? Yucca is also called denim. The plant got this name because it used to make fabric material from its fibers. Today, some manufacturers add these fibers in the production of jeans clothes to increase its wear resistance.

Most yucca species at a young age have the appearance of a bush. In the future, as the trunk develops and grows, the lower leaves fall, as a result of which the bottom becomes bare. In the natural environment, the plant blooms with large white bell flowers. They are combined in a long whisk, which can reach a length of up to 2 m.

Flowers grow dangling on short pedicels. Flowering occurs in the summer. At home, flowering is a rare occurrence. After flowering, yucca forms fruits in the form of a box or berries. When grown indoors, the yucca resembles a false palm. It can grow up to 4 m.

Varieties of yucca and their characteristics

Today, about 20 species of yucca are known, which are combined into 3 groups: Chaenocarpa, Clistocarpa, Yucca. Some of them are cultivated at home, in greenhouses or in the open. We invite you to get acquainted with the most famous and common.

Elephant

A species with an interesting appearance - a lignified trunk looks like an elephant leg. It is this similarity that led to the fact that the yucca received the second name - the Elephant Leg.

The leaves formed at the top grow 0.3–1 m long and 8 cm wide. At the base, they are combined into a rosette. They have pointed ends. The leaf plates are painted in light green. Indoors, this yucca reaches large sizes.

It is good to decorate spacious rooms, halls, offices, shops, grow in conservatories and greenhouses. It looks beautiful in combination with other flowers and original - when planting alone.

Garden

As the name implies, this variety is grown in the open air - it is landscaped and decorated with garden and summer cottages. A perennial artisanal plant forms leaves, similar to swords, which are connected to a socket. Their length is 25–100 cm. They have a bright green or bluish color.

Grow in a spiral. In the center of the outlet, a peduncle is formed. Each inflorescence contains bell flowers 7 cm long and 5 cm wide. The garden species can withstand minor and short frosts. When landing in regions with severe winters, it requires the construction of a shelter or transplant into the room.

Sizaya

The gray yucca is a subspecies of the previous plant. Her trunk grows 40 cm in height. Her leaves are linear, green with a bluish tint. Their length is 40-60 cm, width is 8-12 mm. At the edges are curly threads.

During flowering, a long peduncle is formed - 1-3 m. The inflorescence is in the form of a brush or branched. It contains many bell-shaped flowers 7 cm long in white, milky color, some with a greenish tint.

Aloe

This species is common on the Pacific coast of America. When grown indoors, it grows up to 4–5 m. It has hard leaves that resemble blades in shape 45 cm long and 3 cm wide. They grow on the top of the trunk. In color, they can be different depending on the variety - with a white border, white and yellow stripes on a leaf plate, purple. During flowering, a long peduncle with cream-colored bells is formed.

Filamentoza

Another subspecies of yucca garden. Its other name is yucca filamentous. This plant has a thick and long trunk. The leaves have a grayish tint. Their length is 30–80 cm, width is 2–4 cm. They are connected to a socket at the top of the stem. Their shape resembles swords with pointed ends. There are curly threads at the edges. The flower stalk is formed in a leaf outlet. It can grow up to 4 m. The flowers have a diameter of 5-8 cm. They are creamy, white or white with greens.

Short-leaved

Distinctive features of this yucca are a very branched crown and shorter leaves than other varieties - 15–35 cm long.

They are lanceolate, green in color with pale edges and yellow teeth on them. Inflorescence appears at the beginning or end of summer, depending on the region of growth. Flowering is short - about a month.

Under natural conditions, this tree can grow up to 12 m in height and develop a trunk up to 50–90 cm in diameter.

The birthplace of the plant is the desert of southwestern America. In these areas, it is better known as the Joshua tree.

Homemade Yucca Care

Since the homeland of the described plant is the tropics and subtropics, when grown indoors, conditions should be created for it that are close to natural, namely heat, increased humidity, regular access to fresh air and bright lighting.

Did you know? Some peoples, for example, residents of the Dominican Republic, eat the fruits of wild species of yucca along with potatoes. They resemble berries with dense fleshy pulp, have high nutritional value and beneficial properties.

Lighting and pot location

When keeping in a room for a tree, you should choose the brightest place. It is better to put it at the window facing the south side, shading from the midday direct rays of the sun. Shading should be mandatory, otherwise the plants will begin to dry the leaves and sunburns are observed.

It will also grow well near the eastern and southern windows. When grown on the north side, artificial highlighting is required. Additional lighting is also needed in winter. It is better to install fluorescent lamps at a distance of 30-50 cm from the flower. The required daylight hours for yucca are at least 12 hours. If there is insufficient light, the leaves of the plant turn pale and stretch.

Important! Every 14 days, the Yucca pot should be rotated 90 ° so that its ground organs are evenly lit. Thus, it will be possible to achieve that the crown will be symmetrical.

Temperature

In the spring and summer, the plant feels good at a temperature of + 23 ... + 25 ° С. On hot days, it is advisable to take out a pot of room culture in fresh air. In the fall, the temperature must be reduced in order to provoke the transition of the plant during the dormant period. It is important to protect the plant from drafts, temperature jumps, which can significantly reduce decorativeness and even destroy it.

Humidity

Humidity for this room culture needs increased - 60–70%. The higher the thermometer’s column, the higher the humidity level should be. To achieve such conditions, on too hot days and during the heating season, it is necessary to spray the space around the flower with a spray gun, put the pot on a tray with moistened expanded clay, pebbles, wash in the shower or install an air humidifier in the room. At other times, the flower does not require regular spraying. Only periodic wiping of the sheets with a damp cloth is needed.

Watering

Yucca needs rare but plentiful watering. The next wetting should be done when the soil dries 5 cm in depth. Watering can be carried out both from above - under the root, and from below - into the pan. Overmoistening and stagnation of moisture are detrimental to the plant, so it is important to ensure that no bays occur. If this happened, then you need to dry the soil in a timely manner. The fact that the plant is too much moisture will indicate twisted leaves and the appearance of brown spots on them.

It is necessary to moisten the soil with tap water at room temperature, which has been left to stand for 1–2 days or softened and cleaned of harmful impurities through the filter. For 5 liters of soil, approximately 1 liter of water is required.

Feeding

Yucca does not require frequent feeding. They need to be produced once every 2-3 weeks from spring to September with ready-made universal mineral fertilizers in a reduced dosage. Only a healthy tree is fed. A plant with signs of disease or pest damage must first be cured, and then, after some time, fertilized. Also, you should not feed the newly transplanted indoor culture - you need to wait until its adaptation takes place.

The soil

Yucca should be planted in universal soil purchased in advance in a specialized store. Also, the soil substrate can be made by yourself.

A mixture suitable for yucca is recommended to be composed of the following ingredients:

• soddy soil (2 parts);
• sheet soil (2 parts);
• sand (2 parts);
• humus (1 part).

For mature plants, humus is not needed; the amount of turfy soil should be increased to three parts. When making the soil with your own hands, it must be disinfected by calcining in the oven or microwave, pouring potassium permanganate solution, boiling water, holding it over steam.

Transfer

Young plants should be replanted annually. Adults - 1 time in several years. It is recommended to transplant in the spring. However, the yucca can easily adapt if the procedure is carried out in the summer. For transplantation, you should purchase a new pot, 2-3 cm larger and corresponding to the size of the root system. The material of the pot is unimportant - it can be plastic, ceramic or a tub made of wood.

Yucca transplant technology is as follows:

1. The day before the planned procedure, it is necessary to moisten the soil well so that an earthen lump with roots comes out easier.
2. At the bottom of the pot lay a drainage layer of expanded clay, pebbles, gravel, brick fragments.
3. Pour a small layer of soil on top.
4. Remove the yucca from the old pot without destroying the earthen lump.
5. Put it in the center of the new tank.
6. Fill the voids in the pot with earth, without adding 1.5–2 cm to the edge.
7. Tamp lightly.
8. Moisturize the soil.

Pruning

This plant necessarily needs pruning, which will limit its growth and give the crown the desired shape. It can be produced for the first time when the trunk reaches a diameter of 6 cm.

The procedure is planned for early spring, before the tree begins to grow actively. It is carried out with a well-ground and disinfected alcohol solution with a knife.

The trunk is cut so that a high stump with 2-5 kidneys remains. The cut is dusted with activated charcoal to prevent the development of rot. In the future, you need to carry out normal care. After 2-3 weeks, the kidneys left near the cut should wake up. The trimmed top can be rooted and grow a young tree from it.

Features of the rest period

Yucca, like most tropical crops, has a pronounced dormant period, which begins in November and lasts until March. The owner of the plant must take this into account and create all the conditions for the indoor culture to enter the winter state of "sleep".

The transition to a period of rest is provoked by two actions:

• gradual decrease in temperature to + 13 ... + 15 ° С (maximum low threshold - + 10 ° С);
• reducing the number and volume of irrigation to a minimum of 1 time in 10 days.

Important! When cultivating yucca in winter without lowering the temperature, the risk is that the leaves turn yellow and the roots become rotten.

Starting in October, all dressings should be stopped, as this can cause serious harm to the tree. They will only need to be resumed from March or April. In conclusion, we note that yucca is a common indoor culture that requires light, heat, high humidity and simple care. There are several varieties of wood that differ in size, shape and color of the leaves. The flower looks great with a single planting or in combination with other indoor crops.