Plant Doctor Archive

  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.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 207, 2006, Page 41

• The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH
• Content or advice may be out-of-date.