Yukka Be Gone!
Yukka, Yucca - either way, these plants have got to go!
Once a peak landscaping design choice has now become incredibly problematic for the Australian garden…. you know its name, The Yukka or The Yucca, however you want to spell it, they’re awful.
There are around thirty species of yukka/yucca in Australia, however, the plant is native to southern USA and Mexico. Yukka’s roots are well known for their strength and ability to spread which makes them a problem as they commonly damage foundations, retaining walls, driveways and fences. As they mature their base often grows completely out of control and becomes increasingly challenging to remove.
At South Gippsland Tree Care we are dedicated to finding a better solution for your garden. The team is well experienced in the removal of this invasive plant, and has the scars to prove it, they weren’t joking when they coined the nickname Adam’s needle! Incredibly, in a study by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, 28 people over a five-year period presented with ear injuries directly caused by a yukka. Sadly, one in seven of those people also suffered from permanent hearing loss in the injured ear (source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-20/yucca-plants-blamed-for-ear-injuries-in-the-garden/9343216)
Our tactic is to cut the yukka/yucca at the base, as close to the ground as possible. The plant base is then poisoned in a targeted and conscious way to prevent further growth; the base will then die and quickly rot which then will allow what is left to be completely removed. While it is possible for some yuccas to be removed from the root with our stump grinder, due to most of the plants being planted in river pebbles this is on a case-by-case basis as these pebbles and the stump grinder do not mix.
As we continue to do our part for the environment, we encourage our clients to keep the mulch that is created when removing the yuccas. Typically, most yuccas will go into landfill which is unnecessary given the information we know about them being a compostable landscape product.
Yuccas make a great mulching product, although the old leaves may not be to each person’s aesthetic taste, yucca mulch is proven to be a great weed suppressor and is a great moisture retention tool as well as providing much needed nutrients when it begins to break down.
Many clients ask us “but won’t the mulch just grow more yuccas!?” and the short answer is no…. sigh of relief! The mulch that you recycle on your garden for your more prized plants will not be conducive to growing new yuccas.
For our clients who would prefer to never see a yucca/yukka again in any form, we are happy to take the mulch with us! Removal of this biproduct is included in our service, we always ensure the space is left clean and free of plant matter you don’t want or need.
For more information on how we can help you remove these invasive plants from your garden give us a call on
0477 131 599 or an email at info@sgtreecare.com.au and we’ll work with you to create a better space.
