- Yuccas flower in late spring or early summer. Their white, bell-shaped blooms form on a stalk that emerges from the center of the plants' foliage. This central stalk can reach 6 feet tall. The flowers grow in a branching cluster called a panicle, surrounding the stalk and making a showy display.
- Fruits of the plants are peanut- or okra-shaped and appear following the flowers. The 1- to 4-inch-long pods turn from green to orange and then brown as they dry. Each pod contains multiple chambers filled with seeds. Seeds harvested from the pods remain viable in storage for up to five years. The flowers of yucca plants are edible, as is the immature flower stalk, but the fruits are bitter and only some are edible, such as the fruits of Spanish dagger (Yucca treculeana).
- You can remove the flowering stem of yucca plants at any time if you find it unattractive or you don’t care for the plant’s flowers or seed pods, or you can choose to leave the stalks intact throughout the winter to provide interest in the landscape. Yuccas are drought-tolerant, tolerate poor soils and adapt to full-sun or partial-shade conditions. These low-maintenance plants don’t need fertilizer or supplemental water, making them a good choice if you desire landscape plants that can help conserve water. Propagate the plants by seed or through division, taking offsets, suckers or rhizome cuttings for transplant.
- Because yucca plants can develop sharp spines on the tips of their leaves, you should locate the plants in a position where they cannot injure passersby. A spineless version, Yucca elephantipes, is available for those who worry that children or pets may be harmed by the plants; however, this yucca grows in tree form, reaching up to 30 feet tall and developing a thick trunk.
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