My Deer Garden

Plant record · Perennial

Is Soapweed Yucca deer resistant?

Yucca glauca

Soapweed Yucca
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Perennial
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Full sun
Height
36–54 in
Bloom
Summer
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
13 US states
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Soapweed Yucca

In midsummer a stalk goes up through the clump and hangs greenish-white bells the length of it. The rest of the year it is a three- to four-foot spread of narrow, pale-green, dagger-like leaves, evergreen and hard at the tip, and that armament is defense enough that browsing animals tend to work around it.

Shade is the first of two things that kill it, and it goes slowly enough that people miss the cause. It will not persist under trees or on the north side of a building; it simply thins, stops flowering, and is gone. Standing water is the second. This is a plant that shrugs off extreme drought and extreme cold and cannot survive waterlogged ground. Lime, by contrast, is no trouble at all — its tolerance for it is rated high.

The roots carry saponins — the soap the common name refers to. They will make a dog or cat vomit and can cause liver disease in horses.

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Similar to Soapweed Yucca

Other perennials with the same deer rating.

Where Soapweed Yucca grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 13 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
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Common questions about Soapweed Yucca

Is Soapweed Yucca deer resistant?
Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Soapweed Yucca grow in?
Soapweed Yucca is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Soapweed Yucca grow in shade?
No. Soapweed Yucca wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Soapweed Yucca get?
Mature height is roughly 36–54 in. Growth rate is moderate.
Is Soapweed Yucca toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Soapweed Yucca as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Soapweed Yucca belongs to.

All perennials·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .