Yucca plants are perennial trees and shrubs. They are nowadays popular houseplants for their whitish flowers and sword-shaped leaves. Yucca filamentosa is derived from North America and the Caribbean.

They are virtually pleasing and look like dragon or agave plants. These plants are also called Spanish bayonets, needle palms, Adam’s needles, etc.

Yucca plants flourish in the partly shaded area with indirect bright light having sandy and well-drained soil. They are also easy to maintain, however, yucca plant leaves curling (same as aloe) is a common issue that you should know about with their proper treatment.

Common Reasons and Solutions of Yucca Plant Leaves Curling

There are different causes why curly leaves (like calathea) in Yucca plants develop such as improper sunlight, insect attack, cold weather, etc. We’ll discuss them all here.

1. Insufficient Sunlight

Yucca plants are desert-like plants that grow in rocky and sandy locations and thrive in lots of sun rays. If you grow them indoors, they mightn’t receive as ample sunlight as they need. In this way, their leaves might curl like curry leaves.

When plants get insufficient light, the leaves will be darker than the usual leaves. And afterward, they will turn to curl.

How to Treat It?

Make sure the leaves are receiving the proper amount of sunlight. Yuccas need at least 8 hours of indirect, bright sunlight for their proper growth.

You can place them beside the window. If there isn’t ample light use plant grow light. But in case your room hasn’t enough sunlight, shift the plants to another good location.

2. Excessive Sunlight for Yucca Plant

Yuccas are fans of sunlight, but too much light may burn the leaves as well as curl up the edges of the leaves like olive trees. And even this may cause the death of the plants.

This problem may happen in summer days mostly. If you see curling is just started, shift the plants to a safer place with a low sunlight area.

How to Treat It?

Keep the plants in the sunlight like beside windows. But cover them up if the light is too much. You can use a shade cover to protect the plants from excessive rays.

3. Infestation of Insect

Sap-feeding insects like aphids and thrips may invade yuccas when the plants are favorable for bugs. When these pests attack your yucca plants, the leaves will curl (like spinach) soon. They may also damage the roots and cut the leaves.

If the base of the plants is too messy or the space is very tight for which the plants can’t be exposed to the environment, in these conditions pests may be infested there as these places are ideal for pests living.

How to Treat It?

Always keep the plants clean. Isolate the infected plants. Prune the affected leaves to save other leaves. This will also help to grow new healthy leaves. And pesticides and neem oil are always good to use to stop pest attacks.

If you apply neem oil 2 to 3 times per week, this will prevent insect recurrence in the affected plants and they will get back to a healthier life soon.

4. Cold Damage of Yucca Plant Leaves

Yucca plants can survive in a wide range of temperatures. But they might be susceptible to damage in cold weather. If the plants are exposed to frost or cold weather for long, leaves will curl and damage.

How to Treat It?

To protect the plants from cold weather keep them inside with proper lighting. You can also bring them outside when sunlight is available.

If the temperature drops too much, you can cover the plants with a light blanket or transparent plastic sheet so plants get good protection against direct exposure to the cold or frost.

5. Overwatering

Yucca elephantipes flourish in sandy and rocky places thus they need less water to live in compared to other houseplants.

The potting soil should have also proper drainage to drain out the excess water. Excess water will turn the yucca leaves curling (same as paddle plant) as well as prone to develop rot in the roots.

How to Treat It?

Watering the yucca plants less frequently. The fingertip method is helpful to understand whether the plants need water or not. When the soil is fully dry, only apply water, otherwise, keep off watering the plants. Also, choose the right potting soil with proper drainage.

FAQs on Yucca Plant Leaves Curling Issue

How long will curly leaves last on a Yucca plant?

With proper treatment, curly leaves of yucca plants revive within several days. But if the curling is happened due to cold or frost, it may need a quite long time. The yucca plant leaves curling like jude by cold temperatures will get back their healthy leaves in the springtime.

Do I have to trim curly leaves on a Yucca plant?

In most cases, curly leaves will turn into their original condition with proper care and maintenance. So, there is no need of cutting the leaves. But you might prune the leaves only when they are affected by bugs.

End Words

It’s very important to find out the reason why are your yucca plant leaves curling before you fix it. The most important causes are excessive sunlight, scarcity of sunlight, the infestation of pests, overwatering, and too much cold.

Once you figure out the culprits, there isn’t much hassle to treat the plants. Hopefully, you can now fix the problem at home easily.

A short video of how to treat a yucca plant: