How to Grow and Care for Desert Spoon

Native to the Chihuahuan desert in North America, the desert spoon plant is an evergreen shrub closely related to the agave. The plants feature serrated blue to grayish-green leaves that are long and slender, with frizzy ends and reddish-brown margins. A large "skirt" of dead leaves covers the central stubby trunk. When the desert spoon plant is about 7 to 10 years old, it begins to produce showy flowers in late spring or early summer that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Desert spoon is best planted in early spring or late fall. In cool climates, it is also possible to grow it in containers to be overwintered indoors.

Desert Spoon Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing desert spoon:

• Plant it in a location with full sun and well-draining loamy or sandy soil.
• Water desert spoon only until it is established and cut back on watering in the winter.
• Don’t fertilize the plant except for an annual springtime application of compost.
• Bring container-grown plants indoors before the first frost.
• Remove the flower stalk after the bloom if desired.

Light

Like most succulents, desert spoon plants thrive when planted in a spot with full sun similar to their natural desert habitat. At the minimum, they should receive six hours of direct sun daily.

Soil

For best results, plant desert spoon in porous, fast-draining soil, such as loam or sand. Avoid sites located near the ocean—desert spoon has a low salt tolerance—and only plant it in a wet climate if the soil is very well-draining. Desert spoon is not particular about its soil pH level and does well in mildly acidic, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil.

Water

Water a newly planted desert spoon plant regularly until it is established. Decrease your watering cadence as you near winter—the plant will only need to be watered every two to four weeks during cooler months. Water the base of the plant and avoid overhead watering near thecrown—too much moisture introduced to the crown results in root rot.

Established plants are drought-tolerant.

Temperature and Humidity

True to its native hot and dry desert environment, desert spoon plants are both heat-tolerant and drought-tolerant. High temperatures suit this plant best, though heat stress may occur if temperatures are consistently above 100 degrees F. Desert spoon plants cannot survive long periods of frost and should not be grown in areas where temperatures dip below 50 degrees F. High humidity may cause fungal problems.

Fertilizer

There is no need to fertilize your desert spoon plant; it will establish itself and grow just fine without it. Fertilizing the plant won’t make it bloom earlier or more often. At the most, scatter a layer of compost around the plant base every spring.

Types of Desert Spoon

There are no known varieties or cultivars of desert spoon but there are two other Dasylirion species that you might want to consider:

• Smooth-leaf sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum):Also called green sotol, this plant produces small clusters of white flowers on the top of its sturdy bloom stalk, which grows between 5 and 20 feet in height.
  
• Texas sotol(Dasylirion texanum):The spikes on the leaves of this plant are especially long and sharp. Its flower stem grows to be between 9 and 15 feet tall and features clusters of blooms from May through August. The alcoholic drink called sotol is made from the plant's fermented inner cores.

Pruning

Desert spoon plants rarely need much pruning since they grow at a moderate pace. At the end of the blooming season, you can remove the spent flower stalk and pull or trim any dried or yellowed leaves, especially at the base. Because the leaf edges are spiny, make sure to wear leather gloves when handling the plant.

Propagating Desert Spoon

Desert spoon is not the easiest plant to propagate. Seeds are not commonly available, and to collect your own seeds, you need a female plant that blooms. What’s more, germination is slow and erratic.

You’ll have a better chance to succeed by propagating vegetatively from a root cutting of a mature plant.

1. Locate a thick, woody root at the base of the plant close to the soil surface (they often grow horizontally).
2. Take a 4-inch root cutting without disturbing any surrounding roots.
3. Dredge the root in rooting hormone.
4. Place it horizontally in a pot filled with damp potting mix and cover it with potting mix by about 1 inch.
5. Place the pot in a warm location location with bright, indirect light but out of direct sunlight.
6. Keep it evenly moist.
7. Once you see new growth emerge, move it to a location in full sun.

Potting and Repotting Desert Spoon

Because of its size, especially the towering flower stalk, desert spoon is best planted in the landscape. But below USDA Zone 8, planting it in a container is your only option because it allows you to move the plant indoors for the winter.

Choose a container that is at least 16 inches in diameter (10-gallon capacity) to accommodate the plant in its mature size—desert spoon plants do not do well being transplanted or repotted often. Make sure the container has large drainage holes and use well-draining potting mix.

Overwintering

If you grow desert spoon outside of its hardiness range, bring the potted plant indoors before the first fall frost. Place it near a south- or west-facing window and water it sparingly.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

While desert spoon plants don't have many known pest or disease issues, excess moisture makes it susceptible to fungal diseases. This is a desert plant that needs soil with excellent drainage. Watering the crown may lead to root rot. High humidity levels may also cause fungal infections. To prevent these, ensure proper air circulation around the plant.

How to Get Desert Spoon to Bloom

Bloom Months

Mature plants typically bloom between May and August.

How Long Does Desert Spoon Bloom?

The bloom stalk remains on the plant through the winter unless you remove it.

What Do Desert Spoon Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flowers sit atop a 10- to 15-foot pole-like flower stalk that grows from the center of the leaf rosette. The tiny, catkin flowers are clustered in a long, narrow spike around the stalk. The color of the flowers indicates the gender of the plant. Male plants are greenish-white to creamy-yellow flowers and female plants have purplish-pink flowers. The flowers don’t have any particular fragrance.

How to Encourage More Blooms

The flowering of the plant is determined by the maturity of the plant and only occurs every few years. There is nothing that can be done to precipitate it or make desert bloom more often or more profusely.

Caring for Desert Spoon After It Blooms

If you find the long, woody flower stalk unsightly, remove it after the bloom.

From: thespruce