Many palm lines survive high minus temperatures without any problems. What bothers them, however, is too much moisture in the cold season. But you can counteract this in a targeted manner.
The appropriate winter protection of palm lilies depends on the variety. So before you take any precautions, you should know exactly what kind of yucca you are dealing with.
You can then take appropriate measures to enjoy the exotic flowers again next year. Here I would like to explain to you exactly how the different species have to be protected in winter.
➜ Overwinter hardy palm lilies outdoors
Frost-hardy yuccas are used to the freezing cold at night in their natural home in North America. These species include many yuccas that are very popular as ornamental plants, for example:
- Yucca filamentosa
- Candle Palm Lily (Yucca gloriosa)
- Blue Yucca (Yucca baccata)
- Trans Pecos Yucca (Yucca thompsoniana)
- Big Bend Yucca (Yucca rostrata)
Adult specimens of this species can cope with temperatures of -20 °C and sometimes even -30 °C and survive the usually milder winters in Germany well. In the cold season, however, the plants are threatened by too much water in the form of downpours and melting ice and snow. Persistent waterlogging is extremely harmful for many yuccas from arid or semi-arid areas. You can already take the following protective measures when planting:
- Mix plenty of sand or gravel into soil at site and work in drainage
- Plant palm lilies elevated to further promote water drainage
- Plant palm lilies under a roof (carport, canopy), allowing the plant as much sunlight as possible
Build your own rain cover for palm lilies
If you don't mind a little effort, you can do one without any special knowledgebuild simple but effective rain protection for the palm lilies yourself. This is how it works:
- Anchor four posts firmly to the garden ground.
- Protrude two adjacent posts higher, creating a slope of at least 30 degrees.
- Screw or nail on a batten frame with two diagonal braces.
- Put on stable, transparent foil and fasten it with a stapler.
- Leave at least one, preferably two sides open for ventilation.
➜ Overwintering palm lilies that are not frost-hardy indoors
Yuccas that are not frost hardy or only partially frost hardy should be cultivated in tubs and overwintered in a cool spot indoors. For example:
- Giant palm lily (Yucca elephantipes)
- Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera)
- Yucca aloifolia
Choose a cool, bright spot in the house where the temperature is between 5°C and 10°C. Water only very sparingly and less the colder the winter quarters. When you finger test, you should only feel a little moisture on the root ball. However, a regular, weak misting of the leaves with the spray plant is good for the palms. Additional advantage: you counteract the infestation of spider mites with the mist shower.