Growing Conditions

• Yucca, native to the southwestern and southeastern United States, grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. The genus is tolerant of poor and rocky soils, as well as drought. It is often planted in the back of the garden because of its height, or in clumps in the middle of a border as a not-to-be-missed accent.
  
  

Spacing

• Spacing affects yucca growth considerably. Plant individuals so they can grow to their full size without crowding each other; three feet apart is adequate for most yuccas. Likewise, thinning out side shoots--or "babies"--eliminates competition for water and nutrients, resulting in larger, healthier plants.
  
  

Nutrition

• Yucca benefits from moderate amounts of fertilizer. Use a balanced fertilizer--10-10-10, for instance--at half the recommended strength for perennials. Over-fertilization results in weak, lanky growth that cannot support the heavy flower stalks.
  
  

Plant Selection

• Choose the species that meets your size requirements. Adam's Needle (Yucca filamentosa) grows a rosette three to five feet tall and wide, and a flower stalk about six feet tall. This common yucca is often found in old gardens. Weakleaf yucca (Y. flaccida) has slightly drooping spikes that are 1 to 1 1/2 feet long and bear flower stalks just a few feet tall. Curve-Leaf Yucca (Y. recurvifolia) grows differently by forming rosettes above a 7- to 10-foot trunk, resembling a small palm tree.