Is this a true yucca elephantipes?

[ShrimpoDimpo]

I was wondering if this yucca that this company is offering in the Virginia Beach area is a true elephantipes. I spoke to the store and they said it was cold hardy but I didn’t ask if it was a true elephantipes. Is an elephantipes truly hardy down to -20F? He sells these as large trees so I don’t want drop nearly $2000 for a yucca that’s an annual.

https://palmtreemart.com/palm-trees-for-sale/

 

its the second item in the website

Edited October 30, 2023 by ShrimpoDimpo

[2palm]

i have these everywhere where i live. they are hardy, they took 0 damage form a -11 F  freeze they had here. i cant tell if those are true though. hope you find the info you need!

[flplantguy]

That is not elephantipes, but another species I am not sure on. Elephantipes is not very cold hardy, but if that is a yucca from the desert southwest it may do well down to even single digits without issue, depending on its native range and source.

[flplantguy]

I would also like to add that unless they put significant time into growing those there then they were either (hopefully) shipped, or possibly removed from the wild as a larger plant.  I would ask as to the source of the plant and how it was grown before buying as well. Plants removed from the wild mature tend to fail, on top of the moral/ethical concerns.

[ShrimpoDimpo]

22 minutes ago, 2palm said:

i have these everywhere where i live. they are hardy, they took 0 damage form a -11 F  freeze they had here. i cant tell if those are true though. hope you find the info you need!

Thanks for the response. Is what you have the same plant that’s sold as a yucca cane? Because googling “yucca cane” says it’s a yucca gigantea, which some sources are saying is equal to an elephantipes. I’m wondering this because buying a small yucca cane is much cheaper than a larger 10 ft plant, especially if they’re the same species.

The one below is what I thinking of buying but it’s available at other big box stores too.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/yucca-elephantipes-potted-plant-spineless-yucca-3-stem-66804071/

[ShrimpoDimpo]

4 minutes ago, flplantguy said:

I would also like to add that unless they put significant time into growing those there then they were either (hopefully) shipped, or possibly removed from the wild as a larger plant.  I would ask as to the source of the plant and how it was grown before buying as well. Plants removed from the wild mature tend to fail, on top of the moral/ethical concerns.

Good point! Definitely don’t want to steal trees from the wild ecosystem. He said he got all the plants shipped from Florida.

[flplantguy]

The plants in the photos don't look like they could thrive here but it's possible in the right conditions.  Like a greenhouse with rainfall mitigation and heat added.  However I would still hesitate to get one, unless someone here gives a positive ID, or like you said you could get $2k of melted mush next cold event.

[Chester B]

Definitely not Yucca gigantea.  Yucca elephantipes is the old name, it is now reclassified as Yucca gigantea. 

Y . gigantea is not particularly cold hardy, it can survive in zone 9 and up.  I will see these at the coast in zone 9B in Oregon, but here in zone 8B they die.

The Yucca in the photo looks more like Y faxoniana or one of the hardier trunking Yuccas.  Cold hardy ecotypes of Y faxoniana are reportedly hardy down to what the seller claims, but I have to imagine these are in their native climate (think dry cold).  Being in Virginia beach I'm sure they will do well for you with good drainage since you are in a much warmer growing zone.

 

[ShrimpoDimpo]

Awesome, thank you for your help! It’s unfortunate a seller that sells plants for multiple thousands of dollars wouldn’t be a bit more careful to name the varieties correctly. Guess that what this community is for!