I have not transplanted a yucca that has grown in place from seed; container grown specimens transplant beautifully even many years later. Recurvifolia doesn't even need roots, it will regenerate new ones. I have not worked with elata. My advice is to wait until mid-spring. Of course you'll want to have your holes dug before digging the elatas. In my opinion, if you have to cut the taproot, the yucca is going to be set back no matter what you do. A bunch of water is just asking for rot IMHO. I would not water until it had been very hot and dry for several weeks. Then soak it well and don't water again until it totally dries out again. Maybe 5 deep soakings over the course of the summer. No more after August. I believe I read that skinny leaved Yuccas are apt to die back if transplanted but they should quickly recover next summer because by then they will have a good root system. Of course I live in the Mississippi River valley. It is very humid, rains a lot and the soil is heavy. And admitedly I have not worked with elata.

It will be easier for me, and hopefully for you, to show some pictures of the area. I took out some plants between the salvia greggii and blue mist in the bottom middle of this photo: That photo was taken at 4pm and by 5pm the area in question was in total sun. Hot, afternoon sun. But from about 9am until 5pm, it's in shade. I got a break and took the next picture while the sun was behind a cloud. Same garden from the other direction: bostedo, good question. I'd like it to be about 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall, just enough to make it interesting, and contrasting foliage would be nice too. I don't want everything the same height or the same leaf type. I had a gaura lindheimeri there but I think it must have been too wet for it. I have some gaura, probably prairie bee blossom, but it grows in a very dry part of my yard so I don't know how it would do there either. I have to water the salvia greggii at least once a week to keep the leaves from folding. But you have given me a thought. I have some gulf muhly that I need to move. But I have it in full sun now. I don't know how it would like so much shade. I also have some twistleaf yucca, but again, I don't know how it will like that much shade and moisture. I was planning to put it out by the street. Perylene, I'm afraid turk's cap and beautyberry would get too tall in this location. I wish Hot lips salvia was native; I've always liked it. I have a salvia azurea a little further down from this spot. I just bought it this summer so it hasn't gotten big or weedy. yet. If I like it there, I'll let it spread. So far, it seems to like that area. p.s. I also thought of little bluestem, but I was afraid it might look too weedy and be too aggressive there. This post was edited by marti8a on Fri, Sep 5, 14 at 18:47

Guess digging yucca in the wild depends on one's perspective. Apparently some ranchers find the stands of pale/twist leaf yucca to be a problem. An acquaintance with a ranching background warned I'd never be rid of it. In his childhood world, they would have been glad for me to dig up as much as I wanted and he couldn't believe I was actually willing to pay someone for it. So... you may have been doing somebody a favor. :-) Nolina Texana does seem to be a great plant. We picked one up at BSN on a trip through Austin, but roots rotted in our unimproved clay during an especially wet winter. Hope to try it again in a better draining location - just not commonly sold in north Texas. Yuccado is not gone yet. But don't delay if you've been considering buying something from them. They were still willing to restock a few months ago to fill my intergrade order, though believe that option is winding down.

Mara, I don't know if these photos will help you or anyone else, but here's my experience. All of these are at least four or five years old, maybe more. The best examples of my "Color Guard" yuccas are these in the ground, raised bed with added decomposed granite, rarely watered, lots of sun, I'm pretty sure they were planted with a Agriform 2 yr. fertilizer tablet ... In a pot, soil mixed with decomposed granite, several hours of sun a day, watered about once a week ... Slowly dwindling away, watered -- probably too much, part sun ... A pup transplanted a couple of years ago has not grown, mostly sun, not much water ... So in considering what to make of it all after taking these photos my conclusion is: decomposed granite to insure good drainage, sun, little water. Fertilizer? Probably ... Gonna' try it on the little one. While photographing the 'Color guard' yuccas I noticed the "Brakelights red yuccas" (they are really of the agave family) are producing pups along the bloom stem. Glad I haven't pruned them. Lorelei passed along a couple of pups that her 'Brakelights" produced on the flower stem so I knew they did it, but these are the first ones for me. Yay -- more Brakelights! How do you know when should they be detached from the stem and planted?