Pendulous Yucca (Yucca recurvifolia) Growing & Care Guide for Gardeners
Article by Dean Ravenscroft, Ph.D. - Updated 1st Feb 2024
- Plant Characteristics: Known for its arching, blue-green leaves that have a distinctive droop, giving it a softer appearance compared to other yuccas. Produces tall spikes of creamy white flowers.
- Growing & Care: Prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant once established and adaptable to various soil types.
- Tips for New Gardeners: An excellent choice for adding texture and year-round interest to landscapes. Suitable for xeriscaping and requires minimal maintenance. The flexible leaves are less sharp, making it more user-friendly than other yucca varieties.
Yucca recurvifolia is an ornamental evergreen shrub native to the southeastern United States.
Commonly known as curve-leaf or pendulous yucca, this large, vase-shaped plant is a cultivar of Yucca gloriosa and a member of the Agavaceae family.
The plant's long, thin leaves are semi-flexible, growing upwards from its center and gently fanning downwards so that the lowest leaves touch the ground.
Yucca gloriosa (as Yucca recurvifolia) photograph by Swallowtail Garden Seeds.
Each blue-green leaf ends in a sharp point, and the central stalk can grow upwards of six to ten feet tall (1.8 to 3 m high).
Mature Yucca recurvifolia bloom in late spring and early summer, growing towering spikes that hang with dozens of white, bell-shaped flowers.
Often used in landscaping due to its distinct architectural qualities, shrubs also do well indoors planted in decorative containers.
Gardener's HQ Yucca recurvifolia Growing Guide
Like other succulents of its type, Yucca recurvifolia is a hardy plant that does not require much in the way of maintenance or grooming.
Recommended for USDA Hardiness Zone 7–9, it does best in well-drained, sandy soil, but can tolerate clay with proper drainage.
New shrubs should be planted in early spring or summer in an area that receives full or partial sunlight.
Regular weekly watering is only needed until strong roots are established, at which point the plant becomes drought tolerant.
This plant thrives in warmer climates, but is nevertheless able to withstand some snow and freezing temperatures, its leaves remaining undamaged at temperatures as low as −4° degrees Fahrenheit (−20° C).
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Yucca recurvifolia Growing and Care Guide
- Scientific Name: Yucca recurvifolia.
- Common Names: Pendulous yucca, Curve-leaf Yucca.
- Growing Zone: USA: 8 to 10; UK H4 hardy to about –10°C.
- Life Cycle / Plant Type: Perennial, Succulents and Cacti.
Plant Details
- Plant Height (Inches): 60 to 72.
- Plant Spread (Inches): 60 to 72.
- Time of Bloom: Spring and Summer.
- Flower Details: White - Lily-like.
- Leaf Foliage: Green.
- Fruit:
- Growth Form: Upright / erect.
Ideal Growing Conditions
- Best Light Conditions: Partially shady to full sunlight.
- Rate of Growth: Grows slowly.
- Suitable Soil Types: Acidic, Alkaline, Loamy, Neutral, Sandy, Well drained.
- Soil Moisture: Dry.
Caring Conditions
- Care:
- Level of Maintenance: Low.
- Propagation: seed, root division, stem cuttings.
- How to Prune: Remove spent leaves / flower stalks.
- Pests:
- Diseases:
Further Information
- Can Attract:
- Tolerant of: Drought.
- Best Garden Use: Container Garden, Seashore, Specimen.
- Family: Asparagaceae / Agavoideae.
- Closely Related Species: Asparagus, Agave.
- Miscellaneous: North American native, Fragrant flowers, Attractive flowers / blooms.
- Genus Detail: Yucca.
- Further Reading and References: NC Extension Gardener and Here.
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Yucca recurvifolia. You may also enjoy the following growing guides: How to grow Yucca gloriosa and Small Soapweed Yucca.
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