Yucca Species Propagation

Deer might nibble yucca flowers but won't cause lasting damage to plants.


Yucca (Yucca spp.) are propagated in many ways. This tenacious group of plants is well-adapted to dry, harsh climates and has found ways to survive beyond simple seed production. Many yucca species produce pups or offsets that can be used for propagation. Cuttings of a yucca stem also will put down roots, and sections of the vigorous rhizomes will spread underground.


Using stem cuttings is the most effective way to propagate yucca species that form multiple stems. The stems grow out of the soil and form long, sword-shaped leaves. Examples of multiple-stemmed yucca are spineless yucca (Yucca elephantipes) and Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia). Stems used for propagation vary from 2 to 6 feet in length. The leaves are removed from the bottom 12 inches of a stem cutting to prepare it for propagation.

Yucca stem cuttings take three to six months to put down new roots. An air temperature between 65 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit provides the best environment for rooting. You can either start yucca cuttings in spring and have an established plant by fall or grow the cuttings indoors, including in a greenhouse, for the first three to six months. Though established yucca plants are drought-tolerant, cuttings require regular moisture until their roots form.


Many yucca species produce pups or offsets, small shoots that grow from the parent plants' roots and form at their bases. An offset slated for propagation is severed from the parent plant's base and rooted in a sterile potting mix or in a garden. Yucca plants usually produce offsets in response to environmental stress. One yucca species that produces offsets is variegated spineless yucca (Yucca elephantipes "Variegata").


All yucca species can be propagated from sections of their rhizomes, which are fleshy, underground roots. A rhizome is dug up in late winter and divided into 3-inch long sections. Digging up just part of a rhizome from the base of an established yucca can be done without damaging the tenacious plant. The rhizome sections are replanted in pots filled with a well-draining, sterile potting mix. They produce new roots in three to four weeks. While forming roots, the rhizomes do best in a warm spot indoors, including inside a greenhouse.


Propagating yucca from seeds takes longer than the other propagation methods and has the most variables when it comes to success. Some hybrid yucca varieties also make seeds a less desirable propagation option. Hybrid varieties are cultivated to possess specific traits. In order to produce yucca plants with those same traits, growers must produce a clone of the parent plant by using a root or stem cutting. Hybrid yuccas propagated from seeds contain the genetic material of two plants, and so the offspring are slightly different from the parent plants.

After their flowers fade, yucca species produce large seedpods that dry on the plants. The seeds can be collected from the pods and planted. The planted seeds germinate in three to four weeks. If you can't plant the seeds right away, you may store them up to five years before they lose viability.

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