Yucca elata is a large species and appears in many forms with single or multiple trunks. Y.elata can reach a height of  8m with a trunk diameter of 15-30 cm. Like most branched species Y. elata has short leaves that are approximately 30-50 cm long, but sometimes grow out up to 90 cm. The soft green leaves are arranged in a dense radial head and are 4-7 mm wide. The white line along the edge is composed of compressed fibres, which are most noticeable as a dense mass of filaments at the base of the leaves. The large open panicle grows high above the leaves. The fruit is a capsule of 4-8 cm long by 2-4 cm in width. When dried out it splits into three sections to release the black seeds. They do not flower every year. The plants have a large fleshy taproot, measuring 2-4 m, with exceptions up to 8 m and are therefore very difficult to transplant, but Tropical Centre has the know how and many years of experience in collecting and successfully transplanting them. Y.elata can be found at elevations of 300-1900 m, where it grows in dry, sandy plains, mesas and desert washes, as well as in desert grasslands of south western Texas, and through the southern regions of New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. They can also be found in some northern states of Mexico, like Chihuahua and Coahuile. Natural hybrids of Y.elata with Y.thompsoniana and with Y.rostrata exist and can be seen in the collection of Drs. C.N. Klijn, also one hybrid can be seen in the collection of R.H. Smeets at Tropical Centre b.v.

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.

In our webshop we have this yucca for sale.

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.