I really enjoy yucca plants when they’re in bloom. They’re one of those plants that can also look attractive before they bloom. I enjoy their spikey foliage in the spring, and their seed pods add extra interest to the fall garden.
I also enjoy them for their easy care, they don’t seem to care if they have a little shade, or full sun. They come back year after year without any help from me.
Images (c) Linette all rights reserved
I have a Yucca Plant my friend moved away and said I could have. We moved it and placed in a country yard, half shade and half sun….It is blooming now & its October 1st, and we are waiting for the full blooms to open as our weather has cooled off. Not sure about time but it is a lovely plant. I also had a huge Aloe Vera plant spike and bloom this year and one of my Mother’s Tongues bloom when I set it out from the pot where it had been for 5 years. The other parts in pots didn’t bloom. Do you think its this unused country soil may have helped them to bloom? It is odd to me these which were planted out of pots did bloom and the Aloe Vera plant which bloomed was repotted in the country dirt. This may or may not be the answer. But I am about ready to up root them and bring in for winter. Do I need to cover the Yucca for winter? Please advise on winter care as we get down to 10 above. Thanks.
We bought a house 4 years ago that had Yucca’s planted in the backyard and I never knew about the plant until I did research to find out how to care for them. As long as it’s in a nice sunny area and the occasional watering, it requires little maintanance. As for the flowering part, it mostly flowers once between spring and summer. There is a bug (yucca beatle) that lives within the pods that actually pollinates the plant. In the spring, the bugs emerge from the ground, mate and the female collects pollen from the yucca plants and creates a pollen mass to surround her eggs. She then inserts the mass with the egg into the flower when it’s in full bloom, so that when the flower turns into a 6-chamber pod (for 5 seeds), her larva is inside the extra chamber and feeds off of 1-2 seeds until the fall. They chew a hole through the pod and fall to the ground and burrow for the winter in a cocoon. Then in the spring, they emerge, mate, and pollinate all over again. I cut the stalks before winter (I live in Indiana). In the fall, take a pod and open it to see if you have larva in it, or check them out to see if there are holes in the pods. If not, you may not be getting flowers due to lack of the beatles… Hope this helps!
[...] Yucca comes back year after year to provide the hummingbirds in our area their July [...]
The yucca cacti will blooms twice a year if they are happy in thier soil. DO CUT the stalk off after it has had time to dry-up and wither a bit, usually in 2-3 weeks after it first blooms. On the second blooming, usually fall, the blooms might be weaker than the hearty springtime ones.
reply to Linette – so they do need fertilizer? I have some plants that don’t and I don’t know which catelgory the yucca falls into.
Annie, they won’t bloom again until next year:)
Heather, Yuccas don’t always bloom every year. I’m not sure without knowing your situation why your plant is not blooming. It may be that it’s not getting the nutrients it needs, or there may be too much shade.
Sandy and Diana, If you want to plant the seeds don’t remove the pod until it’s completely dry (late fall). Otherwise I would leave the pod and it’s stalk until next spring.
The seeds can be started during late winter indoors in pots. They won’t all germinate, and they’re not the easiest to grow from seeds.
I’m not a Yucca expert by any means, I only know what I’ve experienced from growing them myself:) You may want to look around for more in depth information.
I also have a similar question. Does anyone read these questions and post answers? I’ve had my Yucca for 5 years and this is the first year its bloomed. Does the plant only bloom every few years? I have a seed pod and would like to plant more Yuccas around my yard. What is the best way to do that and when is the best time?
our yucca bloomed but what do we do with the stalk now, as it also has pods on. Can we use the pods to plant? or do we just leave the stalk, or do we cut the stalk off and if so when?
I have a similar question. My yucca plant bloomed about four years ago but that was it. It continues to grow but no blosoms. What to do?
Just wanted to say the flowers are beautiful. I have a yucca plant and this is the first year it has bloomed. I was wondering if they bloom more that once a year? I have what looks like flower pods on it now but they aren’t opening. If anyone could tell me if they will bloom again I would appreciate it along with any triming or pruning tips.
Thanks,
Annie