How did your yucca elatas fair?

[cuja1]

For some unexplained reason, my newly planted yucca elata got spear pull before winter even started (like in August, it never grew after I planted it) I'm wondering if the spear wasn't dead when I bought it. It grew several pups in the summer and fall however. After this winter it looks like most of the spears of the pups turned brown. There might be one green one still. We had two nights at -13F and one whole day below 0 F.

Did anyone else's elatas experience any similar temps and how did they fair? Do you think once they get some size to them they will be hardier or should I expect any winter like the one we had to kill the spear?

[TimMAz6]

I recall my Y. elatas getting burn when young......some even dying. I 'weeded' out the weak ones. My last remaining Y. elata has over 3' of trunk and leaf tips to 7 feet. I don't think it has any burn after this winter and our low was -6.5F. Y. elata is the hardiest SW trunker in my area.

here's an older photo

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... aa30c5.jpg>

[DesertZone]

I agree, Yucca elatas can die back when young. My big one died to the ground about 3 or more times, but now is very hardy.

[DesertZone]

All of my elatas did very well last winter.
A pic of my biggest one.

[TimMAz6]

Yucca elata getting beat up but is 100% fine. Look close, the Y. elata is to the right of the 'tube' in the center of the photo. The elata top of leaves is approaching 8' tall now. NO PROTECTION.

[Paul Ont]

8' Now. WOW. Let's hope that the winter isn't too hard on the Yuccas so we can make some interesting crosses... Tim- I have a grow-up of perhaps 150 F2 progeny from your cross of Yucca gloriosa (Big Tenn) x filata (I think), anyway, I'm excited to see if there are any real winners in that bunch!

Elata here is OK (Zone 4b), but I think my best elata are really crossed with glauca, despite what the seed package said when I bought them!

[DesertZone]

WOW! Lets hope for a mild spring. That is some snow you guys are getting.

[andym]

Well 8' would cover most of my Yuccas We had our first settled snow here yesterday.... 2" to be precise My trunked Elata is still settling in although one stem flowered last year. Its being somewhat light starved by a quickly growing Trachycarpus Nova below it on a steep slope.

[Henoh_Croatia]

For some unexplained reason, my newly planted yucca elata got spear pull before winter even started (like in August, it never grew after I planted it) I'm wondering if the spear wasn't dead when I bought it. It grew several pups in the summer and fall however. After this winter it looks like most of the spears of the pups turned brown. There might be one green one still. We had two nights at -13F and one whole day below 0 F.

Did anyone else's elatas experience any similar temps and how did they fair? Do you think once they get some size to them they will be hardier or should I expect any winter like the one we had to kill the spear?

I have had similar experience with young Y. elata 'White Sands'. But in my case main reason for spear puling, and decline of whole plant, is unusual wet summer 2014. Still, I hope maybe is not totally dead. With high temperatures maybe will re grove new pups in late spring or summer? I also loose young Y. glauca x arkansana, Y. campestris, Y. brevifolia and in middle of winter young Y. rostrata that already have two winters outside. We do not have extreme low temperatures, nothing below -12 Celsius or 10F. Usually we have a mean annual precipitation of about 800–900 mm (31-35 inches) and last year over 1400mm (55 inches). I also lose many cactus and many Yuccas already have problems wit fungus spots on the leaves. Worst is Y. gloriosa 'Variegata'.

[Henoh_Croatia]

We do not have extreme low temperatures, nothing below -12 Celsius or 10F.

I mean, this winter so far.

[cuja1]

For some unexplained reason, my newly planted yucca elata got spear pull before winter even started (like in August, it never grew after I planted it) I'm wondering if the spear wasn't dead when I bought it. It grew several pups in the summer and fall however. After this winter it looks like most of the spears of the pups turned brown. There might be one green one still. We had two nights at -13F and one whole day below 0 F.

Did anyone else's elatas experience any similar temps and how did they fair? Do you think once they get some size to them they will be hardier or should I expect any winter like the one we had to kill the spear?

I have had similar experience with young Y. elata 'White Sands'. But in my case main reason for spear puling, and decline of whole plant, is unusual wet summer 2014. Still, I hope maybe is not totally dead. With high temperatures maybe will re grove new pups in late spring or summer? I also loose young Y. glauca x arkansana, Y. campestris, Y. brevifolia and in middle of winter young Y. rostrata that already have two winters outside. We do not have extreme low temperatures, nothing below -12 Celsius or 10F. Usually we have a mean annual precipitation of about 800–900 mm (31-35 inches) and last year over 1400mm (55 inches). I also lose many cactus and many Yuccas already have problems wit fungus spots on the leaves. Worst is Y. gloriosa 'Variegata'.

Interesting, my yucca gloriosa variegate survived a brutal winter last year with nothing but leaves and a bucket thrown over it when it got down to -13 F. There's probably variable hardiness among the same plants. I haven't protected it this year. Not sure how it will turn out since it was close to 0 F for a whole day.