Whilst I agree entirely with Maras post above, here's a few more clues as to what's going wrong....Firstly,its planted in garden soil, which is fine for plants outside, but not for something indoors...it needs a proper compost for containers. You have watered it three times at the most in three months, that's not a lot is it? How much did you water it with each time? Realise you said it took ages for your hand to come out dry....what did you do? Has it ever been fed in the time you've had it? Few plants can survive without some sun, that's why the new growth is paler than the older leaves, it's starved of light and food and cannot synthesise properly so the new growths are weak and bend. The ends of the leaves are browning, another sign of under watering. It could be a yucca elephantipes, or a dracaena as Mara suggests, they are very similar.

Gill UK

Outdoors it will thrive..but full shade for a few weeks or it will burn in the hot sun. After a few weeks move it into more sun..eventually it will be happy.

For that indoor spot? Dracaena "Janet Craig" would last years.

Ok guys, I get it. Don't worry too much.. I'll get him out of my "cave" haha, and out in shade, then to full light.

I might do the switch out method / rotate method with another plant (thanks for the idea, wantonamara!).. perhaps a Janet Craig, like stanofh suggested (thanks by the way!). They're called corn plants or fortune plants here and are rather common (thank goodness) so I should have no problems buying one once I get to a garden center.

My other thread had someone suggesting to me that I get a coat rack. Jeepers, some people here are so very serious. If indoor malls can have giant plants then I thought, why can't I? (But then again maybe theirs are rotated in and out, or even replaced when wilted, who knows).

I like plants and have always admitted to being a newbie. I ask questions when I don't know.. and I appreciate you guys who are helping! :)

greenclaws, wow, I had no clue that garden soil is not for garden plants, and rather for the garden! LOL! I feel so silly. Gah. I don't think I've ever seen "container soil" around. Gee. I have to research. I think that landscaper lady took me for a ride. Oh well.

I watered it 3 times in 3 months because I was told to let it get dry, dry, dry because I was told that's how Yuccas like it. I was worried he would be so thirsty so I checked the soil every day after dinner. Surprisingly the soil was still moist (sticking to my hand) most of the time. I only watered when no soil stuck to my hand; thinking it was the right thing to do.

Has it been fed? Fertilizer? No it has not. I thought (I am probably wrong) that fertilizer will make it grow taller. I don't want it taller since it's leaves are already close to my ceiling. Should I give it fertilizer? What would be the rationale - to make up for light loss? To make leaves perkier? (I want to learn, so I am asking).

Ok so aside from getting him outdoors, what should I do? Should I definitely fertilize? Should I change garden soil with a container soil?

Thanks again for all your help and patience with me. We plant lovers all start somewhere right? :)

Violet, pls. don't feel offended about the coat rack suggestion. I am 100% sure it was not to offend you (I can say that about the poster for sure), just sort-of natural reaction to 'what to keep in dark corner'. It really is not easy to keep plant in so little light. Just as suggestions about silk/artificial plants were - they would always look ok. And you are right, plants in shopping malls are absolutely rotated, and there is also artificial lighting on for many hours (if not constantly) and often skylights.

If you were to install good (really good) artificial lighting, you could grow many plants in darker locations. It may not be best decor thou - so it is a personal decision.

And don't feel silly about not knowing so many 'things' about growing plants, just ask questions and I am sure you'll learn a lot. We all started there...

You might want to research plant soils because , just as different plants have different light requirement, they also have different soil requirement. There are many many theories about what makes a good soil.

"I thought (I am probably wrong) that fertilizer will make it grow taller. I don't want it taller since it's leaves are already close to my ceiling." - if a plant is happy, THEY GROW .

Violet, People here like plants and spend a fair amount of time trying to learn about them. They are somewhat flummoxed when people come with a feeling that plants exist in a static world. They forget that for many people, these issues are not a priority concern in their lives until they they encounter a problem.. They get irritated when people do not want to give the basic requirements that a plant needs and expects the plant to bend to their design requirements. We get a lot of this in different forms. many people do not want to hear the advise that we give.