Plant Doctor Archive

Sad-looking yucca

MY yucca appears to be dying. Its leaves are turning yellow and some brown. I had put it in the entranceway but moved it to a sunnier spot. I am not underwatering it - perhaps I am overwatering it. Is it dying?

A HEALTHY yucca should have tough green semi-upright leaves - the floppy pale look of your plant's leaves is usually brought about by too little light and too much water. Check the base of the trunk - if it's soft the plant is probably past saving. But if it feels firm then the root system and trunk are still OK.

Make sure your plant is in a well-lit spot, getting as much sun as possible, and allow the potting mix to dry right out before watering again. Yuccas can easily survive several weeks with no water - they're almost impossible to kill through lack of water. And when you do water, only give a small amount, never leave the pot sitting in a saucer of water.

The leaves on your plant at present won't change much, but when new foliage eventually does appear in a few weeks time it should be stronger and healthier. You can cut off the brown leaves with scissors to improve the look.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.