Native Plants
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Monday - June 07, 2010
From: Brierfield, AL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Pollinators, Pruning, Cacti and Succulents
Title: When may I remove seed heads from yuccas?
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
Soft tip yuccas dominate my home's landscape. When is the best time to remove the heavy seed heads after flowering? In addition to being difficult to work around, the pods seem to attract infestations of leafleg bugs.ANSWER:
You may remove a flower/seed stalk at any point during its development. If you want to enjoy the flowers but do not need any seeds, remove the stalk near where it emerges from the foliage when the flowers are spent. However, since yuccas and certain moth species are dependent upon one another for their survival in the wild, it might be a good idea to leave one or two flower stalks alone in you garden to provide habitat for the yucca moths living on the plant.
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