Trunking yuccas in zone 5b

DesertZone, where you live do you have winters where the temperature stays below freezing for possibly a whole month or at least a few weeks? This seems to be a deciding factor on many sub-tropical plants.

DesertZone, where you live do you have winters where the temperature stays below freezing for possibly a whole month or at least a few weeks? This seems to be a deciding factor on many sub-tropical plants.

I live in Shoshone Idaho (south central Idaho)

Cold is a deciding factor, but wet cold is the killer! 😡 If you can keep the roots dry and the crown dry and the plant is not stuck in weather below 32f for long periods, it should live. It can get below -0F where these plants come from, but it is dry in the winter and warms in the day.

Here is my weather stats.
http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/idaho/shoshone

This one is better
http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USID0234

Cold is a deciding factor, but wet cold is the killer! 😡 If you can keep the roots dry and the crown dry and the plant is not stuck in weather below 32f for long periods, it should live. It can get below -0F where these plants come from, but it is dry in the winter and warms in the day.

I noticed your average high is 33 F. Thats the same as ours here. You mentioned warm days though. 2 winters ago in January I think it only got above 32 here maybe 2 days the whole month. Have you seen temps like that?

Yes, that does make a big difference if it gets above freezing for the yuccas(and many other plants). I'm in the same situation where we could go through the whole month of January and hardy even see 32degrees F the whole month. That's why those little pop up or umbrella greenhouses are perfect. Then every single day will get above freezing in the winter when it's sunny.

Air Temperature

Month Abs. min Average min Average Average max Abs max
January -30.1 (1969) -8.4 -4.7 0.7 18.2 (2002)
February -37.7 (1951) -6.9 -3.0 2.2 19.0 (1979)
March -24.8 (1920) -1.1 3.4 8.7 28.0 (2000)
April -10.9 (2003) 5.9 11.5 17.3 33.2 (1946)
May - 7.0 (1931) 11.0 16.6 24.2 35.1 (1932)
June 2.0 (1927) 15.8 21.6 27.5 39.3 (1977)
July 7.3 (1926) 18.0 23.8 30.0 43.4 (1983)
August 4.7 (1978) 16.9 23.0 29.4 40.5 (1944)
September -3.0 (1969) 11.5 17.6 24.2 38.1 (1998)
October -11.9 (1987) 4.6 9.9 16.3 31.1 (1985)
November -34.1 (1952) -1.3 2.7 8.2 25.4 (1979)
December -31.8 (1952) -6.4 -2.8 2.3 19.2 (1989)
год -37.7 (1951) 5.0 10.0 15.8 43.4 (1983)

Air Temperature

Month Abs. min Average min Average Average max Abs max
January -30.1 (1969) -8.4 -4.7 0.7 18.2 (2002)
February -37.7 (1951) -6.9 -3.0 2.2 19.0 (1979)
March -24.8 (1920) -1.1 3.4 8.7 28.0 (2000)
April -10.9 (2003) 5.9 11.5 17.3 33.2 (1946)
May - 7.0 (1931) 11.0 16.6 24.2 35.1 (1932)
June 2.0 (1927) 15.8 21.6 27.5 39.3 (1977)
July 7.3 (1926) 18.0 23.8 30.0 43.4 (1983)
August 4.7 (1978) 16.9 23.0 29.4 40.5 (1944)
September -3.0 (1969) 11.5 17.6 24.2 38.1 (1998)
October -11.9 (1987) 4.6 9.9 16.3 31.1 (1985)
November -34.1 (1952) -1.3 2.7 8.2 25.4 (1979)
December -31.8 (1952) -6.4 -2.8 2.3 19.2 (1989)
год -37.7 (1951) 5.0 10.0 15.8 43.4 (1983)

-37 WOW ...that is cold! That's like -34F!!! I hope you never see cold like again. 🙂

[quote="cuja1I noticed your average high is 33 F. Thats the same as ours here. You mentioned warm days though. 2 winters ago in January I think it only got above 32 here maybe 2 days the whole month. Have you seen temps like that?

It can be socked in here for days and days in Jan/ feb and you will never see the sun. I almost have dought we get above freezing in most of Jan. 😆 I hate winter! 😡

Yes, that does make a big difference if it gets above freezing for the yuccas(and many other plants). I'm in the same situation where we could go through the whole month of January and hardy even see 32degrees F the whole month. That's why those little pop up or umbrella greenhouses are perfect. Then every single day will get above freezing in the winter when it's sunny.

I always wanted to try them, keep us posted over the winter. 😀

I haven't used them for yuccas but have used them for my needle palm. They work great. It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to set up. Just pop them open and through some woodchips mulch on inside and outside greenhouse and your set for winter 😀

Thanks Aaron. I was trying to get a feel for if our winters are similar. Sounds like they are. With the exception of precip maybe. I'm with you I hate winter too. Last winter was awesome though. My crepe myrtle didn't even die-back. You don't see that till you get to zone 6b.

You are about 200 miles from me by car and we probably have the most similar climate.

I have Y.Aloifolia,Y.Rostrata,Y.Gloriosa,Y.Aloifolia(variegated)planted-and a few others(in pots) from people on this board.

We also see the bash guard on my mountain bike(-:

The Yucca in the clay pot is from Kory in Minnesota and the other 2 bigger ones are some of Tim's(in Mass)big momma plants.

Heres the cactus garden,I cover it with a "hoop-house" and heat when it get below 10F or so....

depending on how warm/sunny the days have been.etc-the cactus garden is 8'x8'

That looks so nice Jim. 😀

I love your cactus garden Jim! Desert plants look so awesome when combined with different shapes and sizes. I just hope someday I can get my agaves as big as the ones you have.

Thanks Aaron!

The Agave always surprise me with their fast growth,some are on their 10-12 leaves this year.

The A.Neomexicana is pretty dang slow though.

I believe Denver is in z5 and they do have trunking yuccas there.

http://www.gardentourist.org/Denver_Botanic_Gardens/Denver_Botanic_Gardens.html