Yucca aloifolia
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Aloe Yucca, dagger plant, Spanish Bayonet and Spanish Dagger.
Yucca aloifolia is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Can cause skin allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drained or Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H3 — -5 to 1°C -5 to 1 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Can cause skin allergy. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Propagation
- By division, root cuttings or seed.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring sow seed at 19-24°C; the flowers may need pollinating by hand to set seed. In spring rooted suckers can be removed, or in winter take root cuttings.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not usually needed, but in spring you can take off spent flower spikes and damaged leaves when required.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by yucca plant bug.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Snails, and aphids on flower spikes, can occur. Diseases: leaf spot can occur.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
Yucca aloifolia is the type species for the genus Yucca. Common names include aloe yucca, dagger plant, and Spanish bayonet. It grows in sandy soils, especially on sand dunes along the coast.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- SE. Texas to SE. U.S.A., Bermuda, C. & S. MexicoWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Coastal plain from NC to FL & LANC State Extension · read 13 September 2026SE USA to MexicoRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Herbaceous Perennial, Perennial, Shrub, Succulent; habit clumping, erect, spreadingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Tufted (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 120–180 in; width 36–60 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers purple/lavender, white; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers purple in summer and autumn; white in summer and autumnRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
The roots can serve as soap and shampoo, and the fibrous leaves were made into string and rope by pioneers. The flowers can be eaten in salad or cooked, and the fruit eaten raw or cooked.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Other Yucca
More of the Asparagaceae family
Asparagus fernBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Cast iron plantBlade tips go crisp and brown
DracaenaBrown tips on the newest blades first
HyacinthFlowering stops while the foliage carries on
Lucky bambooCrisp margins that appear in winter
Ponytail palmBlades hang and feel thin between the fingers
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.