If you’re looking for an ornamental plant to decorate your interior or for your yard, patio, or porch, where there is a moderate level of sunlight, you can surely check out the yucca plants.
Even though they’re most likely to perish after flowering once, new yucca plants will emerge from the seeds.
Does a yucca plant live after flowering?
Yuccas belong to the agave family and like most other agaves they do not perish after flowering. However, you may lose the parent Yucca after it has flowered once completely. Consequently, it will produce more of its clones genetically leaving behind suckers, off tips, or bulbils.
The main plant is potentially replaced by its offtips and suckers. It is the natural life cycle that the yucca plant may lose life and will reappear. However, if your yucca plant loses life or is drying, there might be some other reasons behind it.
Pests on leaves or body:
A pest invasion is quite common for yucca plants. You may notice yellow or back spots on your yucca if there has been a potential pest invasion. Pests like mealybugs, aphids, and scales are harmful to your plant and it may even cause your yucca plant to lose life.
Even though there are fewer chances of drying, however, you can use rubbing alcohol or horticulture oil to save your plant from pests.
Too much watering:
Yucca is a cactus-type plant and it doesn’t need too much watering. You may be surprised knowing how little water a yucca plant requires daily.
The initial symptoms of your plant being overwatered are yellow spots, a soggy trunk, and rotten rot. You can cut off the defective parts in the primary stage to ignore further inconveniences.
Excessive sun exposure:
Even though yuccas are capable of surviving in drought-like situations and they like to be in the sun a lot, there can still arise issues like yellow or white spots with direct sunlight or you change it from indoor to outdoor all of a sudden.
However, they’re good with adaptation, so try to gradually introduce it to the harsh sunlight.
Does a yucca plant flower?
A yucca plant is aesthetically pleasing for both your indoor and outdoor decor which will plant flowers once in a while. The Yucca plant is notorious for its unique attire and accent which will enhance the beauty of your garden with its extraordinary flower.
However, yucca plants don’t flower regularly like most other usual plants. You’ll have to wait for a certain period to enjoy the beauty of its excellent flower which increases the excitement and beauty even more.
Do yucca plants bloom every year?
Yucca plants bloom every year depending on the plant type. You’ll find your yucca blooming usually from the middle of summer to the pre-fall period.
For instance, June and July is the blooming season for Adam’s needle yucca. On the other hand, you’ll find Yucca gloriosa blooming in July and August.
Moreover, this timing generally remains constant for the yuccas once the flower is mature. That is to say, once you have got a full-grown flower on your yucca plant, you’ll probably notice your yucca blooming at the same time next year.
More or less all yuccas grow the same inflorescences on their spikes. However, some yuccas may grow flowers that shadow their spikes. If you don’t trim them, they are likely to stay like this for 2-3 years. And if you don’t like the brown-ish outlook you may simply cut it off.
How often do yucca plants bloom?
Yucca plants are to bloom seasonally once every year. They generally bloom from the middle of summer to the beginning of fall. So it is not very often that you’ll find a yucca blooming.
Unlike other plants, yucca plants will give you flowers one time every year. And you’ll find no more flowers for the rest of the year blooming on your yucca. Not to mention, the yucca is a seasonal plant.
And the mother plant is likely to rot and lose life after blooming once. However, it will not disappear. You’ll find more yuccas in its place after some days. It is the natural life cycle of a yucca.
How to take care of a yucca plant after blooming?
It often becomes confusing what to do after your yucca has bloomed once. Many believe that cutting the stem off encourages further flowers.
But in reality, there will be no more flowers that year. So there are some particular guidelines that you can follow to take care of a yucca plant after blooming.
Remove the spent yucca flowers:
Yucca flowers form a cluster of spires with multiple hanging panicles where there are separate flowers like those of lilies but having different foliage.
The flower blooms from the center of the plant where you’ll see the spires. Surrounding the flower stalk there forms rosettes which are spiky.
When your flower is in an incomplete mature form, it may or may not require cutting off its stem depending on your preference.
To not have an unpleasant sight of the rotten flower in your garden, you can cut the stem off. It will also prevent keeping your garden free of unwanted plants.
Because the remaining seeds from the flower may germinate into baby yuccas. Even though it is time-consuming, it is possible.
Cut the flower stalk:
If you plan to cut off the flower stalk, do it with a hefty pruner with long handles. The long handles will help you get your job done from a distance so that you don’t hurt yourself by the sharp spike-ends.
Make sure the blades are sharp enough so that it doesn’t damage your plant and the stem comes off with one strike. You can wear gloves and long sleeves to ignore any further injuries.
Water yucca flower:
After your yucca has bloomed, you can flower the yucca plant, as it may require extra water due to the scorching heat of the summer. Also, watch out for pests like aphids, mealybugs, and scales.
How to prune a yucca plant off the dried flowering stalk?
Point out the weak steam:
Notice your plant during the fall season. Wear thick gloves and long sleeves and cut the dried and drying leaves using the sharp pruner with long handles. Remember not to pull off the leaves.
Cut the rosette:
In late summer, you’ll find that the flower stalk has dried out. Keeping a distance of 3-4inches cut from the rosette, cut the flower stalk with the pruner. You can take out the flower stalk as well if you notice the center getting rotted.
Pull out the dried steam:
Now you can gently pull out the dried or dry plant from the ground. If more yuccas are emerging, do it without interrupting the baby yuccas.
Should you remove spent yucca flowers?
When a yucca flower has bloomed completely, it lasts for a few weeks. Then, after a few days, the flower will turn brown and rat off, including the yucca plant. That yucca plant will not bloom anymore in that year or even may lose life.
Hence, it depends on you if you want to remove spent yucca flowers. Because either way, you’re not getting new flowers from that plant.
But you’re supposed to remove it to maintain the beauty of your garden. As the faded flower will only make your garden look duller.
When do yucca plants bloom?
Yucca plants bloom once every year. The blooming period starts from the middle of the summer and continues up to early fall. After blooming, once your yucca flower gets completely matured, it will last for a few weeks. And will turn brown and lose life after that.
You can expect flowers again in your yucca plants during the exact time of your flower’s mature stage of the previous year.
Why doesn’t my yucca plant bloom?
There might be various reasons why your yucca plant is not blooming. It could be due to overwatering or the temperature being too cold for a yucca to grow healthy and mature.
Providing with wrong or less fertilizer or even too much fertilizer can act as a negative catalyst in this regard. Even though yuccas are tough plants and they don’t need much care, they require some pampering when it is the blooming season.
Not to mention, the weather is extra harsh during that period. And your yucca plant may need supplementary water. Also, trimming your yucca plant every now and then helps keep it healthy.
Do yucca plants rebloom?
Yucca plants bloom during the warmest period of the year. And after blooming, the plant usually loses life. Hence, there is almost no chance for the same plant to rebloom in the same year or the next year even if the plant doesn’t lose life.
However, there will be baby yuccas emerging on the side of the mature yucca plant. And you can expect these plants to bloom when they’re completely mature.
How long do yucca flowers last?
Yucca plants bloom once every year. And the yucca flowers may last for a few weeks to bloom completely and mature.
Then it will gradually turn brown and perish. However, the flower inflorescences can remain up to two years after flowering creating an obnoxious sight.
Final Thoughts:
Even though a yucca plant may perish after flowering, it is not always true. It can stay around for a long time after flowering. it is an aesthetic garden piece that you can use to decorate both indoors and outdoors. With little care, you can have an amazing sight of rare yucca flowers every year.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are Yucca Roots Invasive? Do They Have Deep Roots?