The family of yucca "palms" or palm lilies (as they are actually called botanically correct) includes much more than just the houseplant Yucca elephantipes. Among the approximately 50 different species there are also numerous hardy ones that can survive even deep frost in the garden. You can find out what these are and how you can prevent or treat any frost damage in the following article.

Frost is no problem for the silky yucca

Hardy yuccas for the garden

Of course, the indoor yucca Yucca elephantipes is not hardy and should therefore only be in the garden or on the balcony during the summer months. Instead, you have a number of other no less interesting yucca species to choose from - with or without a trunk - that will add an exotic flair to your garden and can even be left out over the winter. These palm lilies are hardy down to minus 20 °C and more:

Yucca Art common name tolerates frost up to
Yucca filamentosa Thready yucca - 30ºC
Yucca gloriosa Candle Palm Lily - 25ºC
Yucca baccata Blue Yucca - 30ºC
Yucca rostrata Big Bend Yucca - 20ºC
Yucca thompsoniana - - 20ºC
Yucca glauca Blue-green yucca - 35ºC

Protect yucca from frost damage with light winter protection

In very cold and/or snowy winters, however, it can make sense to provide the yucca that has been planted out with a light winter protection. This will prevent any frost damage, because even hardy yuccas can sometimes freeze to death. To avoid this, you can take the following measures:

  • Thickly mulch the soil around the yucca with leaves, twigs, etc.
  • This will keep the roots from freezing.
  • It can also be useful to protect the floor from too much moisture by covering it.
  • The plants do not like waterlogging or permanent moisture, especially in winter.
  • In this case, however, make sure that the plant does not die of thirst.
  • The above-ground parts of the yucca can be provided with garden fleece, reed mats or similar.

What to do if the yucca froze?

Nevertheless, frost damage can sometimes not be avoided. But don't worry: as long as this is limited to the above-ground parts, the yucca will keep sprout again and again. You should only cut out the dead or damaged parts of the plant in early spring.

tips

If the yucca doesn't really want to sprout in spring, you can also dig it up. Examine the roots carefully and see if there is still life in the plant somewhere - separate these parts from the frozen rest and replant them.

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Trees