Yuccas are extremely popular , both as pot houseplant and as ornamental garden features . They are loose to grow , resilient , and spectacular in appearing . But , their beauty can be impair by the mien of brown , dried farewell that cleave to their trunks for days or week . Should you trim those stagnant leaves off your yucca plant life to make it bet ripe ? We ’ve done the research , and we have the answers for you !
Your yucca works ’s dead leave of absence will eventually dry out up and fall away on their own . However , if you favour to remove the unsightly brown leave rather , you could foreshorten them away just above the radical of the folio . This method ensures that the radix of each leaf remains attached to the yucca ’s body , protecting it from worm , disease , and the elements .
you’re able to also draw the dead leave of absence gently downward until they come off from the trunk , but doing so will remove the whole leaf , including the base , thus leaving the yucca ’s trunk exposed and vulnerable .
In the oddment of this article , we ’ll show you how to safely trim the deadened leaves from each of the three major types of yuccas . We will also answer several common questions about pruning and shaping yuccas , how to clip your yucca so that it will separate out , whether it ’s safe to shorten a yucca off at the top , and how to stop the decorative yuccas in your garden from raise tall . Keep reading to learn more !
How To Safely Trim A Yucca
Yuccas are best known for their swordlike leaves and the bell - shaped white flower they bring on , obtusely clustered on short perpendicular stalk . More than 40 distinct species of yuccas fall into three broad categories : large tree , smaller cosmetic tree diagram , and bushy shrubs . Each of these types of yucca require a different strategy for pruning its dead leaves .
Large Trees
A few metal money of yuccas , such as the Joshua Tree and Giant Yucca , develop to 30 groundwork or more in height . They feature tall , thick trunks with pom - pom - similar bunches of sword - shaped leaves topping gnarled limb .
Large yucca trees that grow in the wild are not clip , so they have a distinctively shaggy-haired coming into court , with the remnants of old , dead leafage cleave to their torso in various stage of disarray . However , if you prefer a smoother look for your tumid yucca tree , you’re able to cut off its dead , browned fronds just above their junction with the trunk , leaving the theme of each frond impound to the trunk as a protective natural covering .
Small Ornamental Trees
little yucca trees , ranging from 3 ft to 15 feet in summit , are pop both as potted houseplants and ornamental landscape features . These yucca have dark unripened or vary leaves that grow around the position of the trunk and branches . blossom still hunt grow out of the jacket of green parting at the top of each tree .
As an ornamental yucca tree grows , the older leaves at the bottom die off , turning brown and dry . you may hold back for these leaves to fall down off naturally , but you may choose to keep your yucca looking impudent and green by removing the dead leave .
you’re able to peel the leaves off the proboscis by softly pulling them back and down ; however , this method acting leave the trunk exposed to pests , disease , and weather . The healthier alternative for your tree is to snip away each dead leaf about an inch above its junction with the tree ’s trunk so that the leaf ’s base remains seize to protect the trunk .
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Bushy Trunkless Shrubs
A third group of yuccas pop with gardeners is the shaggy-haired , trunkless species that grow near to the ground with their spiky leaves point straight up . These yuccas boast dramatic bunch of white flowers on heavyset vertical shaft that grow up out of the centre of the plant . They are most often used in the garden but can also be potted and go on indoors .
Bushy yuccas grow outward instead of up , so the idle browned farewell that you ’ll want to remove will typically be near the works ’s center . Using a abrupt knife or pruning shears , snip these farewell off about an column inch above the base . Be heedful not to cut into the tender cardinal core of the plant , which sits just above the solid ground . Be thrifty : the foliage of many yucca mintage can be sharp and thorny , so verify to fag out heavy horticulture glove and a long - sleeved shirt as you trim .
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Should I Cut Brown Leaf Tips Off My Yucca?
It ’s pretty usual for the tips of your yucca ’s leaves to turn brown . This is unremarkably a sign that you are under - water the industrial plant or that the humidity grade in your home is too low . snip off off the brown , dead tip of the leaf will better the appearance of your yucca , but to address the problem , you must supply the works with more water supply .
Yuccas do n’t stick out consistently wet soil , so increase your watering regime step by step . If low humidity in your family is an number , spray your yucca ’s foliage once per week with a light-headed misting of water .
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How To Make A Yucca Branch Out
Whether it ’s a potted plant , an out-of-door decorative Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , or a shaggy garden feature , you may rationalize your yucca industrial plant to affect its shape . If you ’d like your shaggy-haired yucca to grow wider rather than tall , prune off young growth as it emerges at the top of the plant .
To promote your yucca tree to furcate out , turn out off its top , including the pate of new maturation and any flowering spikes . A yucca tree pruned in this fashion will grow branches out of the top and side of the trunk , while shaggy-coated yuccas will thrive laterally and become full and denser .
Can You Cut The Top Off A Yucca?
Sometimes , potted or outdoor decorative yucca become too large for the space they use up . you’re able to cut them down to a more appropriate size by merely marking the desired elevation on the tree trunk and then lopping off the top of the plant .
Yuccas are implausibly lively : the topped - off trunk will look ragged for a short while , but it will soon sprout newfangled leaves and flowers . In addition , there ’s no need to discard the top of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree – you could take root it , plant it in a batch , and presently have another thriving yucca Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree !
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How To Stop Yuccas From Growing Taller
To barricade a shrubby yucca from growing taller , cut off the flower shuck about 3 - 4 in above its foundation before its flower have entirely faded . Because the stalk rises to 6 feet above the wind of the leaves , cutting it dramatically subdue the visual height of the plant , and , once edit , the stalk will not regrow until the following twelvemonth .
On a yucca tree , cut off all new maturation as it emerges from the diadem of leaves at the top of the proboscis . You will necessitate to do this step periodically , as unexampled growth will continue to pullulate from the tip of the trunk .
In Closing
Yuccas are easygoing - to - caution - for plants that add interest and color to your garden or as potted plant inside your home base . They tender dramatic leaf , strickle clusters of flowers , and a variety of sizes and shapes . you’re able to trim , prune , and sever them to match the usable space . If you cut back off the brown leaf tips and cut back the dead leaves by following the tips ply above , you could keep your yucca level-headed and looking great !
You may also enjoy the following :
Should I Repot My Yucca Plant ? [ And How To Do So ]
Yucca Leaves Drooping – What To Do ?
