Yucca carnerosana is a large imposing plant, often mistaken for Yucca faxoniana which mainly grows in Texas. Y.carnerosana can reach up to 4-8 m and usually has a single trunk which, when trimmed has a average diameter of 20-30 cm. The trunk is dark brown with irregular furrows. Sometimes the plant branches after flowering (when about 1-2 m high), developing mostly only two heads growing close together. Branched trunks are rare. The green leaves are 40-70 cm long and 5 cm in width, but in cultivation they can reach a length of 100 cm forming a symmetrical head. The leaf margin shows a brown line from which thick, curling white filaments are growing. The panicle is 100-120 cm long, and usually towering above the leaves. The flower stalk is 5-8 cm thick and the green-white flowers are  5-8 cm long. Y.carnerosana is found in two regions, that are wide apart from each other. The northern region extends from western Texas into the Mexican states Chihuahua and Coahuile. The southern region is found in the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas Y. Carnerosana is cold hardy from -12 till -15° C when kept dry. In cool wet winter climates it is better to protect the crown against rain, because it is sensitive to rotting. Our observations show that Y.carnerosana from the southern region are less cold hardy than the specimen from western Texas and the bordering areas in the state of Coahuile and Chihuahua. The difference is significant and for outdoor planting in cold climates we recommend the Texas- North Coahuile varieties. Most importers and distributors of desert Yucca's in Europe sell the southern Mexican variety of Y.carnerosana. And very often they are sold under the name Yucca faxoniana…

Like all yucca's they like sun and a well drained soil, in wet climates it is better to remove the panicle after a few weeks, as the flowers fall down in the crown and start rotting. The yucca is most vulnerable after flowering as the stalk leaves a hole through which rain water enters the hart which could lead to rot. When the old flower stalk has rotted away, it is better to seal the hole with cement; the new growing spears will push it aside.

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Authors drs C.N. Klijn and R.H. Smeets from Tropical Centre have studied yuccas in the wild and also then thousands of import yucca plants from everywhere in Mexico and the USA. Learn more about yuccas and our yucca background through the website buttons about us, photo-albums and newsletters. If you mention us, as the source you may use our descriptions and pictures.