Yucca aloifolia
Spanish Bayonet, Dagger Plant, Yucca
Spanish Bayonet, Dagger Plant, Yucca
Type Perennial, succulent
Hardy range 8A to 10A
Height 10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Spread 36" to 6' / 90cm to 1.80m
Growth rate Slow
Form Upright or erect
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Hardy range 8A to 10A
Height 10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Spread 36" to 6' / 90cm to 1.80m
Growth rate Slow
Form Upright or erect
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Bloom Color White
Bloom Time Spring and Summer
The flowers are fragrant and showy.
Bloom Time Spring and Summer
The flowers are fragrant and showy.
Environment
This plant tolerates drought and salt well.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.
This plant tolerates drought and salt well.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.
Leaf Color Green
Fall Color No change in fall color
Fall Color No change in fall color
Culture Notes
Spanish Dagger is often confused with Spanish Bayonet. Leaf margins on Spanish Dagger (Y. gloriosa) are smooth, whereas those on Y. aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet) are rough. The outer half of the leaves on Spanish Dagger also bend toward the ground, whereas those on Spanish Bayonet do not. Growing in full sun or partial shade, Spanish Bayonet does well on any well-drained soil and should be watered sparingly, if at all. Plants can also tolerate nearly full shade. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
Spanish Bayonet makes a dramatic landscape statement, its dark green, stiff, dagger-like leaves projecting from thick, inclining trunks. Spikes of bright white blossoms appear in springtime to late summer depending on the year in the center of the plant above the foliage. With the sharp needled tips removed with shears, Spanish Bayonet makes a wonderful accent at entryways or in a shrub border. Their striking textures adds an accent to any garden. Plants eventually form attractive, multi-stemmed clumps. High salt tolerance makes Spanish bayonet ideal for seaside plantings.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
Spanish Dagger is often confused with Spanish Bayonet. Leaf margins on Spanish Dagger (Y. gloriosa) are smooth, whereas those on Y. aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet) are rough. The outer half of the leaves on Spanish Dagger also bend toward the ground, whereas those on Spanish Bayonet do not. Growing in full sun or partial shade, Spanish Bayonet does well on any well-drained soil and should be watered sparingly, if at all. Plants can also tolerate nearly full shade. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
Spanish Bayonet makes a dramatic landscape statement, its dark green, stiff, dagger-like leaves projecting from thick, inclining trunks. Spikes of bright white blossoms appear in springtime to late summer depending on the year in the center of the plant above the foliage. With the sharp needled tips removed with shears, Spanish Bayonet makes a wonderful accent at entryways or in a shrub border. Their striking textures adds an accent to any garden. Plants eventually form attractive, multi-stemmed clumps. High salt tolerance makes Spanish bayonet ideal for seaside plantings.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
