Hesperaloe is an attractive, unarmed, accent plant that sports dramatic stalks of coral flowers every spring. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this low-maintenance, southwest desert native.
Hesperaloe (Hesperaloe parviflora) is an attractive grass-like succulent that is as low-maintenance as a plant can be. It’s native to parts of the Chihuahuan Desert — New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico — where it faces extreme temperature swings, full sun, and little rainfall.
In the landscape, it’s prized not just for its evergreen leathery grass-like foliage, but for its plumes of bell-shaped coral flowers that shoot up to 4 to 6 feet. When in bloom, these plants are hummingbird magnets.
It’s a slow grower that is well-behaved in the garden — it produces no litter and is nearly maintenance-free.
It’s a popular, classic accent plant that can be found thriving in the most inhospitable environments — shopping centers and median strips.
Unlike many desert plants, it’s not out to get you! It is “unarmed,” i.e., no thorns, spines, prickles, glochids, or irritating hairs.
Why I Like This Plant
- Visually interesting all year long
- Eye-catching coral flower spires
- Maintenance-free desert native
- No spines, thorns, or prickles
- Hummingbird magnet when in bloom
Things to Watch Out For
Occasionally, aphids may appear on the flower stalks in early spring. If you notice aphids, simply hose them off, they will not hurt the plant.
Not all flower stalks grow straight up, some will arch and droop downward. If you’d prefer yours to grow straight up, prop them up with flower stakes.
If you have a problem with javelinas, rabbits, or deer eating plants in your yard, consider protecting your plant with a wire cage the first year or so. All these critters like to munch on young, tender hesperaloe leaves, but usually leave plants alone as they mature.
I’ve found discrepancies regarding hesperaloe’s toxicity. However, two reputable authorities, the University of Arizona and Dallas County Master Gardener Association, consider it toxic, so please err on the side of caution and place it in your yard accordingly.
Fun Fact!
Hesperaloe, also called red yucca, is not an aloe or a yucca.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a hesperaloe to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Hesperaloe should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 – 10. They can survive in the hottest part of any garden, yet are extremely cold hardy.
When the temperature drops to 0℉, its leaves may turn purple. It can survive down to -20℉!
Sun Exposure
Hesperaloe thrives in full sun and reflected heat. While it will tolerate light shade if there’s good drainage, it will produce fewer flowers.
Size and Growth Rate
Hesperaloe is considered a slow grower, especially if it doesn’t get supplemental water. The foliage usually forms a clump approximately 3’ tall by 4’ across, but the flower stalks send up shoots 4 to 6 feet, and sometimes even taller.
Soil
In the wild, hesperaloe grows in all desert soil types — from sand or clay to even the poorest, rocky, limestone-based soil — provided it’s well-drained.
Hesperaloe can be planted in a large container provided it has good drainage and you use specifically formulated cactus soil.
Other Location Considerations
Since this is almost as litter-free as a plant can be, it’s a good choice to plant near pools or patios, or anywhere you don’t want a mess.
Hesperaloe:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Hesperaloe, red yucca |
| Scientific Name | Hesperaloe parviflora |
| Origin | Chihuahuan Desert |
| Plant Type | Succulent |
| USDA Zones | Zones 5 – 10 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 0℉ |
| Flower Color | Coral |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer |
| Mature Size | 3′ high x 4’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns or spines |
| Toxicity | Possibly toxic |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds |
How to Plant
Dig a hole as deep as and twice as wide as the nursery container. Carefully remove the plant from the container, put it in the hole, and press the soil to remove any air pockets.
It’s generally recommended that you backfill with native soil and not add any amendments.
However, good drainage is critical. So if you know your soil is slow draining, amend it with coarse sand or small gravel until you have a loose, well-drained mix.
When to Plant
The best time to plant hesperaloe is in April or May since warm soil temperatures encourage root development.
How to Care for Hesperaloe
Whether you’ve recently planted a hesperaloe or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water
You’re probably used to giving a plant a good soaking immediately after transplanting, but that isn’t the best practice with desert succulents like hesperaloe.
The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum advises not to water succulents for one to two weeks in warm, dry weather or one month in cool, damp weather.
Hesperaloe is an extremely hardy desert native that can survive on little-to-no supplemental irrigation once established, but it will grow and flower better with some extra water.
Water every 2 weeks from spring to fall, and every 3 to 4 weeks during the winter.
Should You Fertilize?
There’s no need to fertilize hesperaloe, they get all the nutrients they need from the surrounding desert soil. But if you keep one in a pot, fertilize lightly a few times a year when it’s actively growing.
How to Prune and Propagate
Once a year, you’ll probably want to cut back the spent flower stalks. You can also wait a while and leave the seed pods up to feed the birds.
Occasionally, you’ll find a few dead lower leaves on this plant that you can remove anytime, but other than that it needs no pruning.
If you find your plant getting too wide for the space, do not shear! You’ll ruin this plant’s beautiful shape and hasten its demise.
Instead, you can divide it as you would any perennial and plant what you’ve separated elsewhere in your garden or give it away.
Hesperaloe Cultivars
Hesperaloe has a wide array of cultivars. Here’s a quick look at a few of the most popular ones.
Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Brakelights’ is a compact selection (2′ x 2′) with bright red flowers that bloom over a long season and rarely sets seed pods.
Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Stoplights’ is another compact (2′ x 2′) cultivar with crimson-red flowers. This is an exclusive of Tucson’s Civano Growers.
Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Straight Up Red’ is a full-size version with reddish-pink flowers. As the name implies, the flower stalks stay erect. Most hesperaloe flower stalks tend to arch.
Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is another Civano Growers exclusive. It is a small version (3′ x 3′) with creamy yellow flowers.
Plant Lover Facts
Hesperaloe goes by a plethora of common names including:
- red yucca
- Texas red yucca
- red flower yucca
- false red yucca
- coral yucca
- yellow yucca
- hummingbird yucca
That’s a lot of yucca! 😉
Hesperaloe means “western aloe” since it is found in the Western hemisphere and was thought to be aloe-like. (Botanically it is not related to aloes, which are native to the Eastern hemisphere.) Parviflora means “small flowers.”
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
