These are two tough plants and they can be cultivated by the home gardener in even the roughest climates.  They are sometimes associated with the dessert and climates like the Mojave in California or all climates in Australia.  Water restrictions have made these attractive and unique plants a very desirable landscape feature in both home and commercial gardens.  Their native environments are often hot, sunny, and windy, with not much rain and poor soil.  They will usually require no pruning, spraying, fertilizer or irrigation.  They are virtually fool-proof to grow!

Both plants have armed themselves with protective gear with their sword shaped leaves which can be harsh on children or those unaware of the toughness of this “skin”. So, plant them wisely.  There are many species, but here are a few characteristics of the commonest:

Yucca Plants

They are a similar plant to agave but it does form a trunk similar to a tree.  The leaves are thinner and leathery and they can be solid colors or striped.  A large upright flower stem is formed from when the plant is semi matured and this contains bell-shaped flowers.  They are not far above the plant as in the agave, but close to the main body.  The yucca has about twenty species, so it’s less diverse than its cousin the agave. Three species are native to Florida, and they are:  Adam’s Needle, Spanish Bayonet, Moundlily Yucca not forgetting Yucca Elephantipes which have been known to grow up to 30 feet tall in the wild.  When you look at the trunk of Elephantipes it looks like an elephant’s foot.

Facts when cultivating the yucca, are:

• Both agave family and yuccas are adaptable to either full sun, part sun, partial shade or full shade.  Indoors or outdoors they are happiest with filtered light if indoors. They need sandy soil that can drain.
• Sometimes the plants can be planted in heavy or wet soil, as long as they are on a slight mound which provides drainage, and if potted do give them a good dose dolomite lime once a year.
• When planting, new yucca and agave require occasional watering until they are entrenched.  After that, normal rainfall is usually enough.  They do not need fertilizer so they are easy to grow.
• Organic mulch is an aid in some urban soils.   The worst pest to these plants is the agave snout weevil.  Large leaved yucca or agave are more susceptible than small-leaved varieties.  Destroy infected plants and keep the healthy ones clean and free from the weevil.
• If the soil is nice and dry there won’t be many, or any, bug or rot problems.
• Both of these plants do well in containers so buying new canes or heads works well for even the homeowner with small gardens.  Try and buy them locally because they will be adapted to your climate. More information on cultivating on another page.
• Any offsets or “babies” you see on a plant can be removed at any time and planted, but stronger ones will establish faster.  Some yucca plants form suckers at the base of the plant and these can be divided and then replanted while others you can cut off the canes on mature stems dry out of 3-7 days and place either in a good quality potting mix and water . Don’t re-pot until you see the roots coming through the bottom of the pot.  Saying this I have had success by just drying them out and planted them straight into the garden.
• If the Yukkas get too tall cut the top off the plant also if the plant is spreading too wide just cut it off at the sides.  These cuttings make excellent gifts to family and friends.
• If the leaves around the bottom of the trunk of the Elephantipes becomes too ratty looking just remove the outside leaves this makes an interesting look on the trunk that looks dramatic when potted.
• Bulbils are small plants at the base and these usually form when the flowers die.  Flowers make an appearance for about 2 weeks usually around fall.

Agave

• Agave Americana is the most seen.  More than two hundred other varieties would work well in landscape designs.
• The plant can be a few inches across or more than twelve feet tall, and wide.  Leaves vary in color according to the species and they can be mottled or a solid colors.
• Flowers may come in years and the blossoms are on tall stems reaching to forty feet above the plant.  When the plant blooms (it’s a once in a lifetime event), it often dies.  Babies or pups (officially they are offsets) grow around the base.  At this time, an owner can separate the babies and plant them or sell to make a profit. In Australia Agave plants take longer to multiply from cuttings.
• A wonderful organic “nectar” is made from the agave and is being used more and more as an alternative to artificial sweeteners.  It has a lower glycemic index and tastes great, and is easier to pour than honey.  This is becoming very popular in the US and 2 species of agave are native to Florida — False Sisal and the Wild Century Plant.

 

Uses for Both Plants

 

• Food.
• Fencing.
• Fiber.
• Tequila.
• A sap (much like maple syrup) and called nectar, now used as a natural sweetener.
• Tea
• Rope.
• Baskets.
• Food (buds, fruit pods, flowers and stems).  The flowers are used before the buds opened
• Stems and leaves, roasted, for sweet cakes.
• Soap.
• Cattle food.

Some toxic substances are found in agave, but it and yucca are versatile, hardy and multi-purpose plants that the home gardener can experiment with and grow, even if it’s only for their good looks and easy care!