Yucca plants are appreciated for their singular anatomy and impinge on textures , put up lush verdure and interest in the water - heady garden .

These low - maintenance perennial are highly versatile in the landscape , with dissimilar varieties sporting diverse growth habit .

unremarkably problem - free , a unwashed polarity of stumble plant health is yellow or otherwise discolored foliage . And to in effect remediate the problem we demand to calculate out what ’s causing it first .

A close up horizontal image of a yucca plant in a pot set outdoors on a patio pictured in bright sunshine.

Editorial credit: YunaAH / Shutterstock.com

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Inour guide to grow yuccas , we breed care requirements of the most popular species grow in house gardens .

There arevarieties of yuccathat have variegated foliage which includes yellow , but what we ’re addressing in this guide is green foliage yellow as a termination of stress .

A close up vertical image of the variegated foliage of a yucca plant growing in the garden. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Editorial credit: YunaAH / Shutterstock.com

From solution putrefaction to low light conditions , there are five coarse ground why the foliage may turn yellow , and the quick you find out the cause , the rather you may get to work fixing it .

Read on to learn about five common cause of yellow leaves in yucca works :

5 Causes of Yellow Leaves on Yucca Plants

1 . unfitting Light

2 . Moisture Issues

3 . Nutrient Deficiency

A close up horizontal image of the silhouette of a plant growing wild in the desert with the sun in the background.

4 . Pest Infestation

5 . Root Rot

Yuccas like bright , hot environmental experimental condition . Sun - starved specimen may gradually turn yellow , and will in general look a little limp and wan .

A close up vertical image of a houseplant in a large white pot set on a wooden floor showing the shadow on a white wall in the background.

If you ’ve planted your yucca in a spot in the garden with less than six hours of bright sunlight per day , try moving it to a brighter location and observe its response .

Most of these plant life need at least eight hours of direct sun per day .

The popular gutless variety ( Y. elephantipes ) is one exception , this mintage typically prefers bright , collateral sunlight .

A close up vertical image of a desert yucca in full bloom in early summer pictured on a deep blue sky background.

On the impudent side , although these plants love the sun , if they ’ve been kept indoors through the winter , they have to be reintroduced outdoors very step by step or the foliage can suffer from burn .

toss out your potted specimens outdoors into lustrous sunshine as soon as the weather condition is warm can ensue in pale , blanched , and sometimes scandalmongering leaves .

Most yuccas are able to recover from a little sunburn , but have your plants out for a couple of hr at a time over the course of a few days will help them make the adaptation smoothly .

A close up horizontal image of the threaded foliage of a Yucca filamentosa growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

permit ’s part with the most coarse cause of yellowing leafage . Although we all need our plant to prosper and grow , when it comes to tearing , more is not always better .

This is especially true for mintage in theYuccagenus , many of which are adapt to low rain environments , like the Mojave desert .

In regions with high humidity , yuccas rarely need to be provide with supplemental body of water .

A close up vertical image of an aphid infestation covering the branches and flowers of a plant pictured on a soft focus background.

In position with veritable rainfall , you demand to ensure that the soil is well - draining or they can become oversaturated . Indoors , hydration two to three metre a month should be sufficient .

Make indisputable your plant life are sited in freely draining soils . If your garden has loamy substrate , hurl in several shovels of grit before planting . Potted specimens should always be embed in a medium that drains quickly , such as a succulent mixture .

Yellowing leave that appear as a result of overwatering are a sign of stress , and if the problem is not addressed , can quickly lead to root rot , discussed below .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener using a bright green watering can to irrigate a houseplant growing in a white pot.

Although underwatering is not a common causa of yellow leaves in these drouth - broad perennial , we are all guilty of a little neglect at times .

If your plant has yellowish foliation and it ’s been more than a mates of weeks since it was water , go ahead and check the soil .

If it feel bone dry , and the temperatures have been hot for any distance of meter , go ahead and give the plant a near drink .

Underwatering can be a trouble incontainer - grown yuccas , as especially during hot weather , pots tend to dry out more quickly than garden soil .

If grown outdoors in the landscape , yuccas loosely do not need dressing .

Inside , potted plants may benefit from episodic alimentation , especially if they ’re planted in the nutrient pitiable , freely draining soil these flora prefer .

check that your plant is not overwatered , underwatered , and is receive adequate sunlight before assuming the yellow leaves are a result of a deficiency of fertilizer .

nutritious deficiency are very rare and an overabundance of plant food for thought can itself have yellow leaves , too .

To feed your yucca , choose a mild , balanced fertilizer . The best time to fertilize these plant is in early spring , however , if you notice yellowing leaves and ca n’t regain the effort , you may try a single battery-acid of fertilizer at any sentence of year .

There are very few pests that do significant damage to yucca plant .

If you ’re develop your plants in toilet indoors you may ladder into the usual cast of pesky characters includingaphidsandspider mites .

These two uncouth plague love crowded , humid environments and punctuate plants .

Even if your house may not sense in particular humid , the humiliated light levels of most household can stress the plant , leaving them susceptible to plague .

The scathe both aphids and wanderer mites inflict can cause swag , jaundiced leaves .

Once identified , infestations can typically be controlled by dutifully removing the insects with a wet cloth and spray bottle filled with water .

If the infestation is hard , insecticidal soap or neem fossil oil work well to kill both wanderer mites and aphids . Make certain to read the direction on the bottle cautiously prior to software program .

Root bunk is a catch - all term for – you guessed it ! – rotten roots . This condition is generally seen in warm , oversaturated filth .

It may be attributed to infection via a number of unlike pathogen , including kingdom Fungi and oomycetes , or it can just be a resolution of the origin swim in too much urine .

Root guff keep down the yucca ’s root scheme to a sloppy , slimy , often stinky mess , entirely eliminating the ability to enthrall piss and nutrient .

regrettably , once this annihilating disease begins , it can only be curtail if catch in the very early stage .

To prevent root guff , grow your yucca in freely drain soils and water rarely , only when the dirt has dried out completely .

If you see foliage beginning to turn sensationalistic , pull back on your tearing and assess your plant ’s environmental atmospheric condition . It may be that several variables are at oeuvre at the same time .

If you mistrust rootage waste to be the cause of the yellowing leave , you ’ll need to dig up the specimen , trim off any diseased solution and treat with a fungicide , before replant in invigorated potting medium .

you could learn more about root rot in our guidebook .

A Cry For Help!

Think of the yellowing foliage as an former distress sign . Although discolored foliage is a cry for help , it ’s likely not too belated to remedy the problem .

Take action and die hard down this checklist and remember , fixing the informant of the government issue may take time .

And tolearn more about growing and caring for yuccasin your landscape , check out these guides next :

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Molly Marquand