If you’re looking for a low maintenance desert vine that stays a manageable size without a lot of pruning, consider yuca vine. This Sonoran Desert native is not well known and can be a little hard to find, but is worth tracking down.
Yuca vine (Distimake aureus) is a fast-growing, deciduous vine that loses its dark green leaves after the first frost, but quickly leafs out when the weather warms up.
Spring through fall, large yellow trumpet-shaped flowers bloom for a day, opening in the morning and closing by evening. Flowers attract bees and sulphur butterflies with their nectar. Flowers are followed by shiny, nut-like fruits that contain large black seeds.
As you would expect of a desert native, it thrives in desert sun and heat. In its native habitat, it can survive on as little as 6 inches of rainfall per year.
Why I Like This Plant
- Large, bright yellow flowers
- Tough desert native
- Grows fast
- Attracts butterflies
- No thorns, not toxic, no pests
The only downside of yuca vine is that it’s not well-known and can be hard to find. But it has so many attributes, I think it’s worth seeking out.
Your best chance of finding one is at any nursery that specializes in native plants. (Here in Tucson, I’d recommend checking with Spadefoot Nursery. They occasionally have them in stock.)
Yuca vine can also be planted from seed. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has instructions on how to grow from seed here.
Yuca Vine: Cat’s Claw Alternative
Another reason I like yuca vine is that it makes an excellent substitute for cat’s claw vine. Both are low-maintenance vines that have trumpet-shaped yellow flowers. But that’s where the similarity ends.
There are numerous problems with cat’s claw — it grows aggressively and, once established, is nearly impossible to get rid of. Managing this plant’s rampant growth can become a real chore. You can learn more about the problems with cat’s claw here.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a yuca vine to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep it healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Grow yuca vine in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. As a Sonoran Desert native, it withstands heat, although it may drop its leaves during extreme heat as a survival mechanism.
Yuca vine is deciduous and loses its leaves with the first frost. Roots are hardy into the twenties and new growth quickly appears with the first warm weather.
Sun Exposure
Yuca vine performs best when grown in full sun and needs sun to flower. It doesn’t mind shaded roots provided the foliage is in the sun.
Size and Growth Rate
Yuca vine is a fast-grower that typically reaches a size of 10 feet tall and wide, but it can grow taller depending on how it’s watered and pruned, and whether it dies back in the winter.
Soil
Yuca vine grows well in most desert soil, provided it’s well-draining, however, don’t plant it in heavy clay soil unless it’s been amended.
Other Location Considerations
This twining vine readily grows up any nearby support structure such as a trellis, lattice, ramada, pergola, or fence. When unsupported, plants will grow into a sprawling ground cover. In its native habitat, it can be found climbing up trees, or scrambling over shrubs, rocks, and cactus.
Yuca Vine:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Yuca vine |
| Scientific Name | Distimake aureus |
| Origin | Mexico |
| Plant Type | Deciduous vine |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 25℉ |
| Flower Color | Yellow |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 10′ high x 10′ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full sun |
| Water Needs | Low moderate |
| Pests & Diseases | None |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic |
| Wildlife | Attracts bees, butterflies |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any vine in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper.
Amending the soil is not recommended unless you are planting in heavy clay. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant yuca vine is in the fall. This gives it three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Yuca Vine
Whether you’ve recently planted a yuca vine 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 New Vines
Once you’ve got your yuca vine in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here’s a recommended watering schedule for new vines planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 6 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually revise your watering schedule, depending on the season.
How to Water Established Plants
Here’s a recommended watering schedule for subsequent years.
| Spring & Fall | Every 10 – 14 days |
| Summer | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Winter | Every 14 – 21 days |
While plants can survive on less water, they look their best when watered regularly, especially during the summer. Plants that receive more water, grow bigger and faster.
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize yuca vine. This plant has evolved to get all the nutrients it needs from the surrounding desert soil.
How to Prune
Prune your yuca vine back to the ground in late winter or early spring before new growth appears to reinvigorate it and remove any cold damage.
You can prune lightly or extensively as needed to control its size.
Plant Lover Facts
Yuca vine (Distimake aureus) is native to Baja California, Mexico, making it a Sonoran Desert native.
In spite of its common name yuca, it’s not related to Yucca, a genus of tree-like desert plants that includes the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). (I’ve yet to find a good explanation as to why it’s called yuca.)
It goes by another common name, yellow morning-glory. And it is related to morning glories (genus Ipomea). Morning glories and yuca vine belong to the same plant family — Convolvulus.
It’s not unusual to see yuca vine called by its former scientific name, Merremia aureus.
Yuca vine has large, potato-like tuberous roots that are edible.
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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 over 15 years.
Photo Credits
Dick Culbert, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Adam J. Searcy, CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist.com