“Is it cassava with a simple double coc?” he asked, looking at me carefully. My neighbor and I had talked about what we liked most about dracaena and how it compares to yucca.
But what he had in mind was cassava, a tuber. On the other hand, he was talking about yucca, the flowering plant.
And once we realized we had miscommunicated the last few minutes, we just laughed and went home.
But that did not satisfy my curiosity for these plants. Was there a better option between the two? I had to figure it out, and here’s what I found:
Typically, you’ll find a yucca as an outdoor plant and a dracaena as an indoor plant, but with the region and growing conditions, they can be grown in either.
Yucca is a perennial herb, it remains active throughout the seasons. But the dracaena classifies as evergreen.
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Dracaena vs Yucca – What are the similarities?
The point behind my debate with my neighbor was that I wanted to introduce a cassava into my house. And he, being a plant lover, had some thoughts about them both.
So I was surprised when he showed me what to expect from a yucca. I didn’t expect the species to be so different.
But once we clarified that he was actually talking about a yucca and not a yucca, it became easier to understand what these plants had in common:
1) The names Dracaena and Yucca represent a genus
Let’s start with the basics. What is a Dracaena? The term dracaena refers to the genus dracaena, which includes over 150 species.
Therefore, it is not a plant, but a general term referring to the species under it.
Examples of dracaenas are Marginata, Deremensis, and Fragrans, and all of these species have different characteristics in terms of size, longevity, aesthetics, and habitat.
The same goes for yucca, a genus that has more than 40 plants. Examples include Aloifolia and Gigantea. Like the dracaena, the species of this genus are quite varied.
2) They are slow growing plants
The dracaena is a slow growing plant that reaches about 1.5 feet each year. Indoors, it takes almost a decade to reach 6 to 10 feet.
And in the wild, it can reach 15 meters in height, but it takes several years to reach. Cassava is no different. Outdoors it grows about two feet per year.
And indoors, growth slows to about 1.5 feet per year. So whichever plant you choose, don’t expect the variety to take over the room anytime soon.
We have an article about it. How big can a dracaena grow? you may be interested
3) They grow quite large indoors
Yucca averages 12 to 8 feet tall when grown indoors. And the dracaena grows to about 6 to 10 feet in indoor conditions.
Keep in mind that these plants are slow growing, so it takes them a few years to reach such heights.
4) They prefer indirect light
Yucca does not like bright direct light, as it can damage the leaves, causing crusting, browning, or even spotting on the surface.
And this hinders their ability to make food. So it works best in bright, indirect light. The same goes for the dracaena, which prefers medium to bright indirect light.
While some of their species do well in full sun, most do not like such exposure and will die in such conditions.
The best way to care for these plants is to make sure they get at least six hours of indirect light from an east or west-facing window.
Also, you should not protect them too much from light, as poor light exposure will result in leggy growth with small leaves and weak stems.
5) Both do well in soil with a slightly acidic pH
Dracaena likes slightly acidic soil (6.0 to 6.5). Yucca also does well in this range, preferring neutral to acidic soil conditions.
6) They prefer warm places
If you want to grow dracaena outdoors or even indoors, it is always best to check the suitability of your hardiness zone.
Ideally, species of this genus thrive USDA area 10 to 12 because the temperatures are quite high. For yucca, it is best to be in hardiness zones 9 through 11.
Yucca and dracaena bloom. For yucca, this occurs from mid-summer to early fall, producing creamy white or pink flowers. The flowering period of the dracaena varies depending on the species.
You may also be interested in: 5 Incredible Benefits Of A Dracaena For Your Home
Dracaena vs Yucca – What are the differences?
When you want to introduce a new plant to your home, you need to understand what it needs compared to other plants in the space.
For example, if you are bringing in a moisture-loving plant, you need to determine if the existing species are also moisture-loving.
This way you avoid specialist care for each plant, which can make maintenance difficult. So what makes these plants different?
1) The type of plant
Does your plant come back year after year? Well, with cassava, the answer is yes! This yucca is a herbaceous perennial, which means it stays active throughout the seasons.
But this is not always the case with the dracaena. The dracaena is classified as evergreen. And that it survives all seasons depends on the care you give it.
The plant can survive the winter if you live in USDA zones 10 through 12 or protect it from freezing. But if it does not overwinter on the plant, then in the spring you will have to start all over again.
2) Habitats
Most of the differences below are easy to understand once you look at the native habitats of these species. Cassava is native to hot, dry regions of North America and the Caribbean.
On the other hand, the dracaena is native to the tropical regions of Africa, southern Asia and northern Australia. And this explains the following important differences:
3) Soil preferences
With most plants, gardeners recommend choosing nutrient-rich, well-drained potting mixes. But with cassava? – It won’t work.
These species do best in dry, sandy areas where nutrients are scarce. Therefore, to reproduce this, you must place them in sandy soil.
You shouldn’t change the terrain too much, as it might confuse them. Instead, add perlite and sand to regular potting soil and the plant will be fine.
Can this also work for dracaena? Not at all: the dracaena is native to tropical regions where it has access to plenty of nutrients and water.
It prefers well-drained, nutrient-rich soil like most other houseplants. This is why you should get a quality potting soil from the start and take it easy with perlite.
We have an article about it. What is the best soil for a dracaena marginata?
4) Irrigation schedules
Cassava is native to hot, dry regions, so its roots have adapted to such conditions.
The plant can retain water for a long time and does not respond well to frequent watering.
After all, the plant does not absorb much water, so the roots stay in the water for too long and can therefore be damaged.
You should only water this plant once a week during active growing seasons and once every few weeks during the winter. When it comes to the dracaena, things are a little different.
Although they don’t like being in water, they don’t appreciate being left behind and will react harshly on land. You need to water the plant regularly so that the soil does not dry out.
The general rule in this case is to water the plant when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
5) Temperature ranges
Dracaenas are quite sensitive to temperature fluctuations, as they grow in tropical areas where temperatures are quite high.
On average, they prefer temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Only a few varieties can withstand temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
But yucca does well over a wide range of temperatures thanks to desert adaptations.
Even when the temperature drops to 30 degrees Fahrenheit or rises to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, they do just fine. This makes it easier to grow them indoors without having to regulate the heat.
You may also like: Dracaena marginata light requirements
6) Food
Cassava is accustomed to growing in nutrient-poor soils and does not need frequent feeding.
It can thrive on monthly feeding during its active growing seasons. For dracaena, weekly or bi-weekly feeding sessions are most effective during the growing seasons.
These factors determine the compatibility of these plants in the same space. Given the flexibility of yucca, you can grow them in the same room without changing too much.
All you have to do is give each plant a different feeding, watering, and overwintering regimen, and you’ll be fine.
final thoughts
Currently I have the Dracaena Marginata at home and it is doing well. And while I focus on accelerating growth, I would now like to bring a yucca into my house.
After all, these plants aren’t so different that I have to change a lot in my space.
Happy gardening!
Before you go, here are some other related articles that I encourage you to read below to solve more of your gardening problems:
How to Care for a Dracaena Outdoors
How to Save a Dying Dracaena Marginata Plant
7 reasons why your Dracaena is sagging and how to fix it
10 reasons why your Dracaena is turning yellow and how to fix it