Yucca schottii occurs in southeast Arizona, southwest New Mexico and northern Mexico, were it grows on elevations of 1200-2150 m were it occurs in sun or shade in open gras or mountain forest with oak and pine trees. Young plants of Y.schottii yucca have a single, unbranched trunk 20-30 cm wide and about 2-5 m tall, while older plants may have a few simple branches, or more than one trunk fro m the base. The plant forms a single head, with blue-grey or gray-green rigid, straight leaves, but can sometimes be slightly curved. The leaves are 50-100 cm long and 2.5-6 cm wide, and end in a light brown terminal spine. The inflorescence is 40-90 cm long end held partially above the leaves, with white flowers of 2.5-5 cm long. It is very cold hardy down to -18 degrees Celcius in wetter climates and -23 degrees Celsius in drier climates.

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.