gravel in the bottom of a pot is an old farts myth ... lol...

treat it as a cactus ... and you will win ... and that means a cactus media ... and a giant drain hole in the bottom ... [and i am sure Al has a gritty version ... and i am sure the peeps in the cactus forum can help you with that.. if we cant]

if you pot does not have a drain hole ... then do it.. pot in pot.. and dump the water out of the bottom of the pot that doesnt have drainage ... ever so often ...

if it rains a lot in spring... place it so it wont get rained on ... or tip it on its side until the wet season is over ...

ANYTHING can be grown in a pot ... its the basis of most of the nursery trade .... its all about media and water management ...

i swear you cant kill these things... i seem to think i dug one up and threw it in a refuse pile for most of summer.. and the darn thing rooted in ...

the only thing that will probably kill it.. is trying to love it too much ... abuse it.. and it will probably thrive ...

ken

Well, I killed one....

I think it was either Color Guard or Gold Sword. I wanted some winter interest since I have a large brick paver patio surrounded by an even larger asphalt driveway - blah. So I tried a few things, including the yucca (I wanted it for foliage, not interested in the blooms so much).

It did quite well through the winter, but it was the spring that did it in. I think I actually posted here to see if anyone could tell what was wrong, and I think a few folks suggested some kind of mites. I ended up losing the plant, and just never got around to trying another one.

If I did try one again, I would definitely pay more attention to the potting medium. I agree with Bill - I would check and see if Al has a mix that is suitable. I just used plain old potting soil, not knowing any better back then. I don't know much more now, but now I know I don't know much, so I research more!

Good to know your experience. Yeah, I figured a good draining soil/grit mix would be key! With our wet winters/springs I had visions of Yucca Soup in that pot with regular soil, LOL.

CMK

Is it pronounced YOU-ka -or- YUCK-a ?

I pronounce it Yuck-a, but I'd be interested to see if anyone pronounces it the other way.

Martha

I've always heard it and said it yuck-a as well

See, I would have thought YOU-ka.

Eh, I don't have any anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter - just curious :0)

YOU-ka does sound a bit classier, but yuck-a is more fun, and that's what I've always said :)

Maybe go with perlite instead of gravel? In a pot which you may end up moving the gravel might have you cursing later.

I wonder if 'colorguard' is less hardy than the plain ones. Mine looked pretty beat up after last winter but the plain ones looked as good (or bad, depending on your opinion) as ever. btw I love colorguard.

-kato, that's a good idea about perlite. Interesting observation with regards to CG vs regular yucca. Mine seems to have faired well, but it was a mild winter and not much of a test. Wonder if it is the variegation? Perhaps it is just less vigorous because of it and more susceptible to winter damage?

CMK

That's probably it because I think it is the same species as the unkillable ones. It seems vigorous enough though, just can't handle the winter winds and sun.

Yucca as in Yuck-a is the plant that we grow in the southwest. Yuca pronouced You-ka is the starchy root that south americans eat as a staple.

here are some yuccas that are hardy to Zone 5 or so the nursery cald Gold hardy Cactus says. I live in Z8b so it is all hearsay to me . there are others. a medium for your pot is 1 part inorganic grit, 1 part soil and 1 part humus ind some of that should be small composted wood chips. A easier way is C&S soil dilluted down with equal parts inorganic grit ( pumice, turface, washed DG,perlite, crushed granite, scoria). There are others that you can grow outside. On the cactus forum there is a guy that lives and grows some outside in inland BC.

http://www.coldhardycactus.com/yucca.php

water freezing on the fronds will beat them up. no matter what your soil mix you'll want to keep them dry in the winter-it's the damp freeze that will rot the roots.

Yucca do well in any soil with a pot that has a drainage hole. They take root pruning well. An ideal container plant. Yucca filamentosa is the most cold hardy.

I've had 2 in my heavy-ish ground for 2 years and they look as pristine as the day I planted them. I'm sort of amazed. I did some reading and apparently they put down a large taproot and resent being moved. I didn't realize they got so big in time i will have to relocate them!

It all depends on the type of Yucca. some yuccas put up with the gulf coast and the northeast and live their naturally. Others do not.

Catkin, taproot is an understatement. Good luck relocating "in time" down the road unless its one of those small midwest prairie ones like the ones that grow in grasslands around here.

I agree with wantanamara, there are so many kinds, the best IMO are the desert types--- you really do have to specify which kind you are talking about.

Here's an old thread on moving or getting rid of yucca.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1662871/how-to-get-rid-of-yucca-forever?n=121

Old thread, but thought I’d revive it. Yucca filamentosa does amazing for me in zone 6 NE Ohio, even with our wet and super snowy winters. They thrive and readily flower as well. I don’t see why a container would kill them. Just keep the soil dry and put them somewhere sunny and hot and they’ll do fine.