A cold-hardy, low-water accent with hummingbird flowers. Not a true yucca.
Get a Free Planting PlanYes. Red yucca is one of the easiest plants for the High Desert: it is rated to -20F, takes full sun and reflected heat, and needs little water once established. Give it well-drained soil and room to spread, and it will send up coral-red flower stalks from late spring through summer. Despite the name, it is not a true yucca.
Top photo: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Accent succulent · Hesperaloe parviflora · Also called Hesperaloe, Hummingbird Yucca, Coral Yucca, Redflower False Yucca · Native to the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and northeastern Mexico
| Red Yucca at a glance in the High Desert | |
|---|---|
| Type and size at maturity | Clumping succulent, 3 to 4 ft tall by 4 to 5 ft wide, with flower stalks rising higher [2] |
| Growth rate | Slow to moderate [2] |
| Water once established | Low (WUCOLS IV, Region 5) [5] |
| Sun | Full sun; tolerates some light shade if drainage is good [2] |
| Cold hardiness | -20F, USDA zone 5. Fully hardy in the High Desert. [3] |
| Heat | Thrives in full sun and reflected heat [2] |
| Soil | Well-drained sand, loam, caliche and limestone soils [4] |
| Bloom | Coral-red (or yellow) tubular flowers on tall stalks, May to September [2] |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Evergreen [1] |
| Pets | Not listed by the ASPCA; check with your vet. (ASPCA lists true yuccas as toxic, but red yucca is a different genus.) [6] |
| Wildlife | Hummingbirds and butterflies [4] |
| Rabbits and deer | Resistant to deer [4] |
| Where it fits | Accent or specimen plant, large containers, and a clean choice near pools [2] |
Red yucca has no trouble with our winters. University of Arizona Extension and Mountain States Wholesale Nursery both rate it to -20F (USDA zone 5). The Victor Valley is zone 8b, with an average coldest night of 15 to 20F and records near 0F. That is a wide safety margin, and it is why red yucca is tagged as a cold-hardy plant here.
Heat is not a problem either. The grower sheet says it thrives in full sun and reflected heat, so it can go next to a driveway, a block wall or a pool deck where other plants cook. Our July highs average around 97F.
Wind is general practice here, since none of the sources rate it. The plant is a low, flexible clump of narrow leaves with nothing to catch the wind, so spring winds rarely do more than whip the flower stalks around. Stalks that snap can be cut off at the base.
Not a true yucca. Red yucca is Hesperaloe, not Yucca. UA Extension explains that the leaves look yucca-like but are soft with no sharp tips. That matters for pets and kids: the ASPCA lists true yuccas as toxic, but Hesperaloe does not appear on its list. See the Pets row above.
NC State Extension lists red yucca for well-drained sand, loam, caliche and limestone soils, which covers nearly every High Desert yard. The one thing it will not take is wet ground. NC State lists fungal root rot in damp, heavy soils as its main problem. If a caliche layer holds water under your planting hole, break through it first. Our High Desert soils guide shows how to check.
Spring after the last frost or early fall both work, since the plant is so cold-hardy. Victorville’s median last freeze is around March 18. See our frost dates and growing zones guide.
WUCOLS IV rates red yucca low water for Region 5 (High and Intermediate Desert). The SB County High Desert landscaping guide goes further and says no dry-season water once established, though that is a best case.
UA Extension’s advice is plain: water it well for the first year, without overwatering, and after that it should do fine on rain or with infrequent watering during long dry spells. Infrequent irrigation during drought also helps flowering and plant vigor. Victorville averages only about 5.57 inches of rain a year, so in practice most yards give it an occasional deep soak in summer.
Group it on a drip zone with other low-water plants like ocotillo, beaked yucca and cactus. Keeping it off a lawn or flower-bed zone is the easiest way to avoid root rot. Our High Desert irrigation guide covers how to split zones.
Red yucca is a go-to accent plant for rockscape and xeriscape yards. It holds its shape all year, the flower stalks run from May into September, and hummingbirds work the flowers all summer. UA Extension says flower stalks usually reach 3 to 5 ft and can hit 9 ft. A yellow-flowered form is also sold.
Upkeep is light. Cut off spent flower stalks and pull out old dead leaves, which come away easily. NC State notes scale and aphids can show up; check new flower stalks in early summer.
Pull out old dead leaves at the base (they come out easily, per UA Extension). Good time to plant after the last frost.
Flower stalks keep coming through summer. An occasional deep soak during long dry spells helps flowering.
Cut spent flower stalks at the base. Early fall is also a fine time to plant.
No protection needed; it is rated to -20F. Little or no water.
Yes. WUCOLS IV rates it low water for the High and Intermediate Desert, and UA Extension says established plants do well on rainfall or infrequent watering during long dry spells.
University of Arizona Extension and Mountain States Wholesale Nursery both rate it to -20F. It has no trouble with High Desert winters.
Red yucca (Hesperaloe) is not listed by the ASPCA. The ASPCA lists true yuccas as toxic, but red yucca is a different genus. Check with your vet.
No. It is Hesperaloe parviflora. The leaves look yucca-like, but UA Extension notes they are soft with no sharp tips.
Spring after the last frost or early fall. It is hardy enough that timing is mostly about getting the roots set before summer heat.
We checked every number on this page against the public sources below. If a rule or date changes, the agency page is the final word.
Monarch designs and installs rockscape, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plantings across the High Desert. We will check sun, wind and soil on your lot and tell you where a plant will do well and where it will struggle.
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