Yucca baccata

Common Names

Banana Yucca, Blue Yucca, Datil Yucca, Spanish Bayonet, Broadleaf Yucca, Fleshy-Fruited Yucca, Soapweed

Summary

Banana yucca is a drought-tolerant evergreen succulent native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It typically forms rosettes of blue-green, sword-shaped leaves with sharp tips and can reach about 2–4 ft tall and 3–6 ft wide in ground-level clumps, bearing a tall flower stalk with creamy white, bell-shaped blossoms and producing banana-shaped fruits; leaf margins feature curly white fibers.

Culture and uses: thrives in full sun with well-drained soil and is highly drought-tolerant; once established, watering is infrequent. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–11 and propagates by offsets or seeds. Edible parts include flowers and the banana-shaped fruit, while leaf fibers can be used for rope or brushes and roots contain saponins used as natural soap. It has sharp leaf tips requiring caution and serves as an ornamental, xeriscape, or container plant in arid landscapes.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-6 feet

Spread

3-6 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-11

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Type

Well-drained, dry soil; sandy, gravelly, or rocky; pH 6.5–8.7.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.5-8.7, mildly acidic to mildly alkaline

Bloom Color

White to cream, creamy white, sometimes tinged with purple or red.

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Blue-green to gray-green

Fall Foliage Color

Blue-green to gray-green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen needle

Growth Rate

Slow-growing; slow to establish, then moderate; 3–8 years to maturity or flowering.

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings (stem, leaf, root), Division (offsets/pups, basal offsets, suckers, root rhizomes)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts moths (yucca moths) for pollination