How to Cut Down a Yucca Tree

Yuccas grow well in pots or the landscape, even with minimal care. Some stay as a low rosette of leaves close to the ground, but other species can grow to 20 feet high. The striking architecture of the plants is a desirable ornamental feature, but if a large-growing plant has been unknowingly placed in a too-small pot or area, the sharp leaves present a danger to be eliminated.

Gloves
Protective eyewear
Protective clothing (optional)
Measuring tape
Marking pen
Pruning saw
Long-handled pruning saw
Pruning shears
Ladder (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Put on gloves and protective eyewear, and if the yucca is large, clothing to protect your skin. Cut off any side branches to the main trunk.
- 2
  Measure the yucca with a measuring tape. Divide the total height into 3- or 4-foot sections if the yucca is over 6 feet tall for easy handling of cut pieces. Mark approximate cutting locations on leaves using a marking pen. Remove the top in one piece for smaller plants.
- 3
  
  Use a pruning saw to make cuts.
  
  Cut the yucca plant at the marked locations with a pruning saw, beginning from the top of the plant. Use a ladder to reach the top and a long-handled pruning saw if necessary. Remove leaves with the pruning shears or pruning saw if they interfere with making the initial cuts.
- 4
  Remove the cut pieces of yucca for discard or for propagation. Clean up any debris, especially old leaves with sharp tips. Don't discard leaves in compost piles because the leaf tips remain sharp for a long time.
- 5
  Continue to care for the plant base as normal.

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