Can my Yucca be saved?

Steve1809

I moved into my house 6 years ago and there was (what I think is) a Yucca, it was a decent sized bush when we moved in:

It has grown considerably and looks fantastic in summer:

But last summer it grew these flowers(?) which I left to do their thing, and now it's looking a bit sad.

Should I cut the flowers / seed head off?

JennyJ

A lot of people have had their spiky plants hit hard by the weather this year so I guess that's what the issue with yours is. It might come back into growth from lower down. I think I would leave it for another month or two then if you can see new growth, cut down to there. Mostly it's been cordylines that people have posted about. I'm not sure from the pic whether yours is yucca or cordyline - did the flowers look like the one here https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/yucca/yucca-plant-doesnt-bloom.htm (yucca) or here https://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/9891-my-cordyline-has-flowered-for-first-time-what-do-i-do-when-flower-is-finish (cordyline) before they died off?

philippasmith2

It's not the flower spikes that have caused the problem but the constant wet/freeze/wet over the last few months which have done the damage. 
Yuccas can experience the same sort of damage as Cordyline - you will probably have noticed how many queries on the latter have cropped up on here in the last few weeks.
It's basically a case of checking the crowns to see if they are still alive - if not, you may have to cut the trunks to a level where they still seem viable.
If the base hasn't been affected  and the root ball is healthy, it will often send up new shoots.
If that is the case, it may help the rejuvenation if there aren't too many other plants crowding around the base.
However you decide to tackle it, watch your eyes - Yuccas tend to have sharper leaf points than a Cordyline 

Steve1809

JennyJ said:

A lot of people have had their spiky plants hit hard by the weather this year so I guess that's what the issue with yours is. It might come back into growth from lower down. I think I would leave it for another month or two then if you can see new growth, cut down to there. Mostly it's been cordylines that people have posted about. I'm not sure from the pic whether yours is yucca or cordyline - did the flowers look like the one here https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/yucca/yucca-plant-doesnt-bloom.htm (yucca) or here https://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/9891-my-cordyline-has-flowered-for-first-time-what-do-i-do-when-flower-is-finish (cordyline) before they died off?

Hi Jenny,

I hadn't heard of a Cordyline before, it definitely looks more like that than a Yucca going by the flowers. They never really "flowered" as such though.

philippasmith2 said:

It's not the flower spikes that have caused the problem but the constant wet/freeze/wet over the last few months which have done the damage. 
Yuccas can experience the same sort of damage as Cordyline - you will probably have noticed how many queries on the latter have cropped up on here in the last few weeks.
It's basically a case of checking the crowns to see if they are still alive - if not, you may have to cut the trunks to a level where they still seem viable.
If the base hasn't been affected  and the root ball is healthy, it will often send up new shoots.
If that is the case, it may help the rejuvenation if there aren't too many other plants crowding around the base.
However you decide to tackle it, watch your eyes - Yuccas tend to have sharper leaf points than a Cordyline 

Thanks, it does have quite sharp leaves but I think it looks a bit more like a Cordyline.

My wife has put a few pots around the base, so I'll move them out of the way. It should get a good watering later this week.

bédé

It's a Cordyline.  It has scented, date-like flowers.  Problably a victim of the frost.

Here's a pic of my Yucca (in flower, flaccida I think)

The trunk was very weak and flexible.  I was unable to keep it upright, so I cut it right back.  Now it has several new growing points.  Weather permitting I will post a pic tomorrow.

AnniD

This may also help, all though in view of the cold weather we are still experiencing l'd be inclined to wait until April at least.

https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/blog/index.php/cordylines/

I lost the top of my cordyline in a very similar fashion in the Winter of 2010 and did the same as described in the article. It did resprout, but a another cold Winter a few years later sadly finished it off altogether. 

Steve1809

bédé said:

It's a Cordyline.  It has scented, date-like flowers.  Problably a victim of the frost.

Here's a pic of my Yucca (in flower, flaccida I think)

The trunk was very weak and flexible.  I was unable to keep it upright, so I cut it right back.  Now it has several new growing points.  Weather permitting I will post a pic tomorrow.

The main trunk seems to be okay, so I'll cut back the softer top bits.

Shame I won't get much joy from it this summer, but fingers crossed for next!

Steve1809

AnniD said:

This may also help, all though in view of the cold weather we are still experiencing l'd be inclined to wait until April at least.

https://www.paramountplants.co.uk/blog/index.php/cordylines/

I lost the top of my cordyline in a very similar fashion in the Winter of 2010 and did the same as described in the article. It did resprout, but a another cold Winter a few years later sadly finished it off altogether. 

Thanks. I really hope it comes back.

Think I'll buy a new plant and pot that just in case I lose this one.

bédé

After cutting gack last summer.  I know this one is a yucca. but your cordyline should respond similarly.  Cut off the top, and then keep cutting until you come to live wood.  Or just wait ans see where it sprouts.  It will be quite easy to saw.

nick1988raynor

Apologies if I'm hijacking this post 😬 but people who have commented on here seem vastly more knowledgeable than me and I seem to have a similar issue to Steve. I will post some pics, sorry if I seem very basic but when you recommend 'cutting back' exactly which bits do you and how? Again sorry I'm very new to this.

philippasmith2

The main thing to look at is the crown/main stem.  You can remove the obviously dead leaves by either twisting and pulling or just cutting.
If the main stem is is rotten, then you can keep cutting down until you come to a point where life shows.
Even if you have to cut back to just above ground level, if the root ball remains alive, you will hopefully find that new shoots will emerge once the weather gets warmer.  You will then have the chance of a multi stemmed plant as opposed to a single stem.
If you have to go that far, it would also help if you cleared some of the plant/grass growth around the base of your plant to give the new shoots a better chance to thrive.