Yucca can take a long time to mature. Part of the reason we grow yucca is to experience them in full bloom. If you have a young plant, it can seem like it will never reach maturity. Have patience; it takes time for this desert plant to mature.
Yucca plants generally mature within two to fifteen years. This widespread is due to the variation of plants in the yucca family, consisting of fifty known species. For some yuccas, it may take more than 50 years to reach full maturity.
So, when a yucca reaches maturity depends upon the type of yucca you have. We will investigate various yuccas and when they mature. We will also find out if they reach maturity at different times in their native habitat than if they are cultivated.
When is a Yucca Plant Considered Mature?
The yucca is considered mature when it begins to produce flowers. These flowers will produce fruit or seed pods to ensure the lineage of that yucca. It can take many years for most yuccas to mature since many varieties are relatively slow growing plants.
Depending on how old your yucca plant was when you obtained it and the type of yucca, you may need to wait seven or more years before it blooms. Many varieties of yucca take 15 years to reach maturity. That’s okay, it will give you time to know your plant and learn to care for it properly.
Unfortunately, it is rare for a yucca houseplant to flower. Most yucca house plants generally do not live for more than seven years.
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When Will My Adam’s Needle Yucca Mature?
Adam’s Needle or Yucca Filamentosa matures at four or five years. At maturity, this yucca will be around ten to fifteen feet tall. They bloom in the summer, usually in June and July.
The height mainly comes from the flower stalk, which will erupt from the top center of the succulent when this yucca matures. Adam’s Needle Yucca are striking in their appearance, especially when they reach maturity and make lovely cream colored flowers.
These are not small plants, even though they are often grown as houseplants. The Adam’s Needle can reach three feet in width and up to fifteen feet in height at maturity. The Adam’s needle yucca is quite hardy and can survive the bitter cold and hot temperatures.
At What Age Do Banana Yucca Mature?
It takes Banana Yucca, also known as Yucca Baccata, two to three years to reach maturity. After that, one can expect this yucca to bloom every other year during the spring, provided it has had enough rainfall.
Banana Yucca are native to the Mojave Desert in the Southwestern United States. At two to three years of age this succulent will reach maturity and grow a flower stalk bringing the plant’s height to six feet. With the length of the leaves, this plant can grow up to four feet in width.
The flowers are cream colored. As the flowers mature, they will produce a banana-shaped seed, or fruit, pod when pollinated, and it is this soft fleshy fruit gives this yucca its name. This seed pod is edible and has been a traditional food of Native Americans in the Southwest.
When Do Yucca Thompsoniana Reach Maturity?
The Yucca Thompsoniana can take seven to fifteen years to reach maturity. These slow-growing tree-like yucca can grow to 12 feet in height. They will send out a three-foot flower spike in spring, often in April or May.
They are a striking addition to the landscape garden. They are similar to the beaked yucca, though they do not grow as wide. These are easy to maintain and take many years to reach maturity.
How Old Do Shott’s Yucca Need to Be To Mature?
Schott’s Yucca or Mountain Yucca reaches maturity in ten to twenty years. At maturity, the Schott’s Yucca will stand twelve to thirty-six feet tall, making it a stately yucca tree in the landscape. It blooms throughout the summer months of July, August, and September.
The Schott’s or mountain yucca is more of a tree than a shrub and will require planting outdoors. It is cold hardy and grows in higher elevations amongst pine and oak and in lower deserts, making this an excellent yucca for a colder climate landscape.
These are very large yucca at maturity and can grow to more than fifteen feet tall with branches spanning ten feet wide. The mountain yucca produces a short stock of flowers in the summer. This plant is known to bloom sporadically without a regular time frame. So, it may bloom once a year or once every three years.
What Time of Year Do Yucca Plants Bloom?
Mature yucca plants will bloom from early spring through the fall. Some types of yucca, such as the Mojave Spanish Dagger, begin blooming in April in certain ranges. Other types of yuccas like Yucca Filamentosa, may wait until September to bloom.
There are a few factors that may affect bloom time. For example, most yucca plants bloom in the hottest months of the year, while other yuccas that live in extreme conditions may bloom before or after temperatures soar to more than 100 degrees.
Because many yuccas will only bloom during the hottest months, they may not be consistent with what month they bloom in. For example, they might bloom in July one year and may the next. Living in a foreign climate may also affect when a yucca blooms.
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How Long Does a Yucca Plant Live?
Many varieties of house plant yucca live from five to seven years. Other yucca plants, such as a variety of Joshua tree, may live up to 1000 years in its native environment. The longevity of the yucca plant has many factors.
Some factors that may influence yucca longevity are:
- Propagation methods may affect yucca longevity. If a plant is grown from a cutting of a mature host, it often matures quicker than those propagated from seed. Some plants that are grown from a cutting will not have as long of a lifespan as those grown from seed.
- Climate may affect how long a yucca lives. Most yucca plants are found in desert-like conditions. Many yuccas are cold tolerant, and some can survive in temperatures below thirty degrees Fahrenheit for the winter. However, few yuccas can survive the damp conditions of a rainforest.
- The amount of sunlight will affect a yucca plant’s growth and longevity. This is because yucca plants thrive in full sun and well-draining soil.
Yuccas are quite hardy plants. How long yours will take to mature and grow will greatly depend on its type and its care.
How Long Does It Take for a Yucca To Mature?
It can take a long time for a yucca plant to mature. They are slow-growing plants, and most will not reach maturity until they are at least seven years of age. Still, others may not mature for fifteen or more years. Unfortunately, this means you may have to watch your precious yucca grow for more than a decade before it surprises you with a bloom!
Yuccas that are raised as houseplants generally do not flower. Even though it is rare, if ever, that a yucca houseplant has flowered, there is still hope. It may just need more time. More light. More companionship. Don’t give up.