Yucca Linearifolia

Yucca linearifolia

Light

Water

Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently during hot, dry weather, allowing soil to dry between waterings. Reduce watering substantially in winter; newly planted specimens need more regular irrigation while rooting.

Size

6-15 ft tall × 3-6 ft wide

Habit

Rosette succulent – tree-form

Toxicity

Toxic — Pets & Livestock

Description

A sculptural, trunk-forming yucca native to northeastern Mexico, with dense, rounded crowns of exceptionally narrow, blue-green leaves. Yucca linearifolia is the accepted spelling.

Bloom Time

Spring to early summer

Deciduous / Evergreen

Evergreen

Special Features

Architectural Form, Cold Hardy, Drought Tolerant

Growth Rate

Slow

Growth Habit

Rosette succulent – tree-form

Mature Size

6-15 ft tall × 3-6 ft wide

Flower Color

Cream to white

Foliage Color

Blue-green

Landscape Use

Border / Bed, Cactus / Succulent Garden, Container / Patio, Desert / Xeriscape, Specimen / Accent

Garden Style

Desert / Xeriscape

Soil

Alkaline Tolerant, Sandy / Rocky, Well-Drained

Companion Plants

Blackfoot daisy, Desert spoon, Golden barrel cactus, Red yucca, Santa Rita prickly pear

Toxicity

Toxic — Pets & Livestock

Foliage and roots toxic to pets and livestock if ingested (saponins)

Care Instructions

Light: Full sun to light shade; some afternoon shade is helpful in Phoenix locations exposed to intense reflected heat.

Water: Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently during hot, dry weather, allowing soil to dry between waterings. Reduce watering substantially in winter; newly planted specimens need more regular irrigation while rooting.

Soil: Very well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil. Tolerates alkaline conditions; plant on a raised mound if native soil drains poorly.

Mature size: Typically 6–10 feet tall and 3–5 feet wide over many years, excluding flower stalks; very old specimens may grow taller.

Bloom: Mature plants may bloom in late spring to early summer, though flowering is not necessarily annual. Unlike agaves, the plant does not die after flowering.

Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen.

Growth rate: Slow.