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How to Care for Your Yucca Plant, the Biggest Succulent of All

Tehrene Firman

June 16, 2020

how to care for yucca plant — Photo: Unsplash/Paweł Czerwiński

Yucca plants are pretty cool. They're known for their pointy, sword-shaped leaves, and even though they look like typical houseplants, they're actually giant succulents. But even though they're native to hot and dry areas in North and South America, the desert plant can be really happy in your home, too.

Despite being so stunning, yuccas are surprisingly low-maintenance. Unlike something like the fiddle leaf fig that will get mad and drop all its leaves if you move it, yuccas are drought-tolerant, fairly pest-resistant, and hardly require any attention at all. Here's exactly how to go about taking care of one.

How much light your yucca plant needs

Despite being a desert plant, indoor yucca plants don't want the sun blaring down on them all day, which can actually burn their leaves. Instead, aim for bright indirect light, which will keep your plant happy and allow it to grow quickly. They'll also be fine in areas that are a little more shaded, but they won't grow as quickly.

How to water your yucca plant correctly

Yuccas are drought-tolerant, so they don't need much water at all to survive and thrive. In fact, overwatering them is probably the most common way to kill them. As a general rule, Greenery Unlimited says to only water your plant when the top half of the soil is completely dry, which—depending on how much light it's getting—is generally every 1 to 2 weeks. When you're watering your plant, make sure the water drains out of the bottom before putting it back in its pot. That way, it's not sitting in water (and being at risk of root rot).

How to fertilize your yucca plant

While yuccas are super low maintenance, they're healthiest when you give them a boost a couple times a year with a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer—mainly once in the spring, and once in the summer, says Costa Farms. Not only will it help your yucca stay healthy, but it will also help it grow.

Where to buy a yucca plant

Yucca plants aren’t super easy to find online, but there are a few plants you can score them below. Most greenhouses will have them available, though, so you’re sure to find one somewhere nearby if shipping isn't your thing.

1. YUCCA CANE PLANT, $25

This yucca cane plant already starts out at a good size in this 9-inch grower pot. After you put it in a sunny spot, it will start shooting up in height.