Accent
Red Yucca
Hesperaloe parviflora · Asparagaceae (Agavoideae)
Also called: Hummingbird Yucca, Red Hesperaloe, Coral Yucca, Redflower False Yucca
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a low-water accent well suited to Tucson and the low desert.
Red Yucca at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun for best flowering; tolerates part shade but blooms less.
- Mature size
- 24-36 in H x 36-48 in W (foliage clump); flower spikes 4-6 ft H
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate; long-lived, evergreen, and clump-forming (not monocarpic—blooms repeatedly).
- Bloom
- Coral-red to pink (also yellow and salmon cultivars); tubular flowers on tall arching spikes, Late spring through summer into fall (roughly April-September/October), with the heaviest flush in late spring; very long bloom period.
- Cold hardiness
- Very cold hardy to about 0 to -10 F (USDA zones 5-11); also extremely heat tolerant.
- Soil
- Well-drained sandy, rocky, or loamy soils including caliche and decomposed granite; tolerant of poor soils. Needs good drainage but is broadly adaptable.
- Native range
- Native to the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas and northeastern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas). Not native to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, though extremely well adapted to and widely planted in the Tucson low desert.
- Best used as
- Accent/specimen plant, Mass plantings and borders, Hummingbird and pollinator gardens, Median, parking-lot, and low-water commercial landscapes, Container culture, Roadside/streetscape plantings
- Wildlife
- Long, tubular coral flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds; also visited by orioles, butterflies, native bees, and other nectar-feeders over a long season.
- Toxicity
- Generally regarded as non-toxic and pet-safe; leaves lack sharp terminal spines, making it safe near walkways and play areas. The leaf margins bear fine curling fibers but no rigid teeth.
How to grow Red Yucca in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant once established; survives on rainfall but flowers more and looks best with a deep soak every 2-3 weeks during the hot season. Reduce to monthly or less in cool months. Tolerates occasional irrigation but dislikes constantly wet soil.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Little to none needed. An optional light application of slow-release balanced fertilizer in spring can boost bloom, but it flowers well with no feeding; avoid excess nitrogen.
Pruning & care
Very low maintenance—do NOT shear the grass-like foliage. Remove spent flower stalks at the base after bloom for tidiness, and trim out any dead leaves. Avoid cutting the evergreen rosette back.
Notes
Despite the common name it is not a true yucca and not native to Arizona (Chihuahuan Desert origin), but it is one of the most reliable, tough, evergreen low-water accents for Tucson. Soft, fountain-like blue-green to gray-green foliage with long-lasting coral bloom spikes; thornless and very low maintenance.
Sources: AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tucson Botanical Gardens / Tohono Chul