Yucca Baccata (Banana Yucca) – Desert Horizon Nursery

Banana Yucca

Yucca baccata
Categories:
Cacti & Succulents  ·  
Yucca & Accents
Light
Full sun
Water
Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. Provide occasional supplemental water during prolonged Phoenix summer drought.
Size
3-4 ft tall × 4-6 ft wide
Habit
Rosette succulent – clumping
Toxicity
Toxic — Pets & Humans
Description
A rugged Southwestern native yucca with stiff, blue-green leaves edged in curling white fibers and distinctive banana-shaped fruits.
Bloom Time
Spring to early summer
Deciduous / Evergreen
Evergreen
Special Features
Architectural Form, Cold Hardy, Drought Tolerant
Growth Rate
Slow
Growth Habit
Rosette succulent – clumping
Mature Size
3-4 ft tall × 4-6 ft wide
Flower Color
Creamy white to pale purple
Foliage Color
Blue-green
Landscape Use
Border / Bed, Desert / Xeriscape, Groundcover, Native Garden, Specimen / Accent
Garden Style
Desert / Xeriscape
Soil
Alkaline Tolerant, Sandy / Rocky, Well-Drained
Companion Plants
Blackfoot daisy, Desert globemallow, Parry's agave, Santa Rita prickly pear
Toxic — Pets & Humans
Fruit edible to humans; foliage/roots toxic to pets (saponins)
Care Instructions

Light: Full sun to light shade; afternoon shade is helpful in Phoenix. Avoid intense reflected heat from west-facing walls.

Water: Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. Provide occasional supplemental water during prolonged Phoenix summer drought.

Soil: Very well-drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil; tolerates alkaline conditions. Avoid waterlogged soil and poorly drained clay.

Mature size: Typically 3–5 feet tall and 4–6 feet wide; spreading colonies can become wider. Flower stalks may reach 6 feet.

Bloom: Creamy white flowers in spring, usually March–May. Mature plants may bloom irregularly; flowering does not kill the rosette.

Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen.

Growth rate: Slow.