How to Plant a Red Yucca

Red Yucca, or Hesperaloe parviflora, is a plant native to southern Texas and northern New Mexico. It grows to 6 feet in height and typically produces red flowers, although some varieties of Red Yucca have yellow flowers. Red Yucca is a popular plant for desert landscapes in the United States due to its flowers and low maintenance requirements. This plant grows readily from seed and a variety of Red Yucca cultivars are commercially available.

Seed tray
Sandy loam
Limestone
Peat moss
Garden trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Buy Red Yucca seeds from a seed company. This ensures the plants will have predictable characteristics, particularly with regard to the color of the flowers.
- 2
  Select a planting site in a desert environment with full sun. Red Yucca is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8 and higher, meaning it can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 3
  Prepare a light soil mixture for Red Yucca. This plant grows well in sandy loam with a soil pH near neutral, ideally between 6.8 and 7.2. Add peat to the soil to lower its pH. Add limestone to the soil to raise its pH.
- 4
  Fill a seed tray with the soil mixture. Place the Red Yucca seeds on the soil, separating them by 1 to 2 inches. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of soil and put the seed tray in full sun. Water Red Yucca seeds only when the soil is completely dry.
- 5
  Transplant the Red Yucca seedlings to the permanent planting site when they are six inches tall. Dig holes with a garden trowel that are at least 3 inches deep and at least 4 feet apart. Place the seedlings in the holes and position them so that less than 1 inch of the stalk is below soil level and fill the hole with soil. Red Yucca plants should not require any maintenance from this point.

Plants Used to Form a Hedge

Natural Ornamental Grass Used in Landscaping

Landscaping Plants