Yucca Filamentosa Control

Mechanical Removal

• Controlling yucca plants with simple mechanical removal can be a difficult task, because the plants send a deep tap root into the soil. This tap root is what makes them drought-resistant and hardy, and it allows them to grow naturally in areas where they may not always be desired. To remove the yucca plant, use a shovel to dig deeply underneath and around the root system, and pull up the plant. Remove any broken or remaining roots. Complete removal of roots is essential to prevent the plant from sending up new shoots and reestablishing in a few months or the following year.

Chemical Removal

• When shoots begin growing from the place where the plant was removed, a herbicide application may be necessary to completely kill it. Apply an all-purpose herbicide, completely covering the shoots. For best results, cut the tips of the shoots to help the chemicals reach the roots. Use care to avoid affecting surrounding plants. Do not use herbicides that form a toxic surface layer, which are often in granular form. Such herbicides will not kill off the surviving roots that lie beneath the soil.

Conditions

• Yucca filamentosa grows best in full sun and well drained deep soil. But it can continue to grow in adverse conditions such as poor soil, extreme pH, compacted soil, drought, extreme heat, urban pollution and salt spray. For this reason, it can thrive and take up space without any effort from the grower. It can grow extensively, sending trunkless heads 30 inches long and flower stems as tall as 10 feet. The worst conditions for the plant are poor drainage and excess moisture, so a garden with these conditions is less likely to produce vigorous plants.

Benefits and Drawbacks

• These yucca plants can crowd out more desirable plants and dominate a landscape, making control necessary in many cases. After flowering, the stalk must be dead headed and pruned to keep the plant looking clean. But if well maintained, yucca filamentosa can provide bold, interesting texture to a garden. It is suitable for placement in borders or rock gardens or as an accent in the landscape.