Twistleaf Yucca
Yucca rupicola
Also called: Texas Yucca
Twistleaf Yucca. Yucca rupicola, the twistleaf yucca or Texas yucca, is an evergreen succulent native to the limestone hills and rocky soils of central Texas, where it is endemic. Distinctive blue-green leaves twist and curl with age, forming a low rosette 2 feet across, edged with fine fibers and tipped with a sharp point. In early summer it sends up a dramatic flower stalk to 5 feet bearing creamy-white bell-shaped blooms.
Growing & care
- Sun: full sun to light shade; tolerates more shade than most yuccas.
- Water: very low. Highly drought-tolerant; rots in wet, poorly drained soil.
- Soil: rocky, gravelly, alkaline, sharply drained — mimics its native limestone hills.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 7–10; root-hardy and evergreen across its range.
- Spacing: 24–36 inches; forms slow-spreading colonies by offsets.
- Placement: site away from walkways — the leaf tips are sharp.
Propagation
Remove offsets (pups) that form around the base of established plants, let any cut surface callous for a few days, and replant in gritty soil. Fresh seed from the dried capsules germinates in warm, well-drained conditions but is slower than division.
Common problems
Twistleaf yucca is exceptionally tough and trouble-free in hot, dry, well-drained sites. The only common failure is rot from wet or poorly drained soil. The sharp leaf tips are a hazard near paths and play areas. Contains saponins that cause vomiting and drooling in dogs and cats if the leaves are chewed — site away from pets inclined to nibble. Otherwise an outstanding architectural, deer-resistant, water-wise plant for xeriscapes and rock gardens.
Twistleaf Yucca — seeds, tools & books
Native range
Native to 1 state
