Yucca
Yucca gigantea, succulent, evergreen
Water a yucca when the soil has dried out completely, which indoors means every 13–34 days in summer and every 20–54 in winter. It wants full sun, as many hours as it can get, and starts to suffer below 5 °C (41 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Yucca at a glance
Water, indoors
13–34
days in summer
20–54
days in winter
When the soil has dried out completely.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
1–5 °C
It starts to suffer between 1 and 5 °C (34–41 °F).
Humidity
Fine in dry air.
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
Fast. It’s a succulent.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed. Remove dead leaves. If it gets too big, cut back the tallest branches before it starts growing again.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The right spot: in front of the brightest window, with as many hours of sun as it can get.
- Indoors, away from the window. There isn’t enough light here. Move the pot in front of the brightest window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. Shade doesn’t give it enough light. Move the pot where the sun reaches it for longer.
- Outdoors, in the sun. The right spot, with all the sun it needs.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 13–34 days, and only once the soil has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 20–54 days. Near a radiator the soil dries faster, but wait until it has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 20–54 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 13–34 days, but still wait until it has dried out completely.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 5 °C (41 °F). On the coldest nights, move the pot under shelter or indoors.
- Outdoors, winter. In the cold the soil stays damp for a long time, so it needs water less often than indoors, where in January it needs water every 20–54 days.
How often to water a yucca
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 16–44 days
Usually every 27 days. Feel the soil first, and water only when it has dried out completely.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
| February | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
| March | every 30 days | 18–49 days |
| April | every 26 days | 16–42 days |
| May | every 24 days | 14–38 days |
| June | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| July | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| August | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| September | every 24 days | 14–38 days |
| October | every 27 days | 16–44 days |
| November | every 31 days | 19–50 days |
| December | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It isn’t fussy about pH.
Propagation
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
Common problems
The most frequent: Aphids · Mealybugs · Scale insects · Weevils · Root rot
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Yucca: questions and answers
How often should you water a yucca in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 34 days (between 20 and 54), compared with every 21 in July. The longest gaps run from December to February.
How can you tell when a yucca needs water?
Only when the soil has dried out completely, right to the bottom of the pot.
How much light does a yucca need?
As much sun as it can get. Full sun means at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, so indoors the right spot is in front of your brightest window.
Is a yucca toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a yucca take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 1 and 5 °C (34–41 °F). Outdoors, on nights below 5 °C, move the pot under shelter or indoors.
When should you repot a yucca?
When the roots fill the pot. If needed, the best time is spring, when it starts growing again.
How do you prune a yucca?
No regular pruning needed. Remove dead leaves. If the plant gets too tall, cut it back to half its height in spring, when growth restarts. Healthy plants should recover, though there is a slight risk. You can use the cut-off top to grow a new plant.
How can you tell if a yucca is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as fleshy parts going soft and mushy. Too little shows as fleshy parts wrinkled or shrivelled.
How much humidity does a yucca need?
Copes with dry indoor air.
What soil does a yucca need?
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It isn’t fussy about pH.
How do you propagate a yucca?
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
Which pests and diseases affect a yucca?
The most frequent are aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, weevils and root rot. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
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