prairie succulent
Great Plains yucca
Yucca glauca
Also known as Soapweed Yucca, Narrowleaf Yucca, Plains Yucca, Beargrass
1 of 2Native to the Great Plains and the Rockies and southern Canada
Iowa Loess Hills to North Dakota and Montana, south to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 3–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom May–Jul Flowering time
- Height
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie succulent for full sun and lean, dry soil. Its white flowers peak in June. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Great Plains yucca's white flowers bloom May to July, peaking in June. It's an early-summer display.
Great Plains yucca blooms whiteFoliage
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- The Great Plains and the Rockies and southern CanadaUnited States (12): CO, IA, KS, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY. Canada (2): AB, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Iowa Loess Hills to North Dakota and Montana, south to Texas, New Mexico and ArizonaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3–9 · Canadian 2–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Well-drained soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 7.0–8.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Drought tolerance
- HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
- Salinity tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Spread
- ~2 ft (0.5 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- DecumbentIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 6+ in (15+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- SucculentWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- May–JulWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- ripens Feb–DecThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- SlowWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.