This is No Ordinary Plant

(Continued from page 1) the 1991–2020 normal. This ranked as the 52nd coolest May since 1895, according to New Jersey State Climatologist Dr. David Robinson. May precipitation also averaged 2.24” across New Jersey. This was 1.51” below normal, ranking as the 22nd driest on record.

I thought I would share some weather facts for blooming history in case you want to track blooming cycles. I have personally noticed that the beginning of June has been cooler than normal and drier than normal. We do need rain.

If your yucca plant flowered at the same time last year but is not flowering this year, compare this year’s weather with last year and you may have your answer. Also, make sure you know the variety.

Yucca plants are members of the Agave family and include over 45 different varieties. They have incredibly architectural forms with straight, spiny foliage radiating out from a single point. The texture of the foliage can vary from thin, almost grass-like leaves to thick, wide leaves.

It’s probably best to keep them away from sidewalks, paths, or other areas with high foot and/or pet traffic. The deer-resistant leaves may be green, yellow, blue or variegated. Being drought resistant plants, they thrive in full to partial sun. In fact, to have the best chance to flower, yucca should be in full sunlight. They don’t like shade, and will most likely have an incredibly hard time flowering in low-light environments. Yucca should be planted somewhere with good drainage. Soil that doesn’t drain well could lead to root rot.

The yucca plant flower also has an interesting relationship with a white moth that pollinates the yucca and survives on its nectar. That said, the yucca plant will oftentimes not bloom unless this moth is present. I’ve recently seen this moth flying around the pictured yuccas around dusk.

The yucca moth is a non-descript, small, whitish moth that blends well with the color of the yucca blossoms where it spends most of its brief adult life.

Like most drought tolerant plants, yucca doesn’t need a great deal of fertilizer.

Still, a regular, light dose of fertilizer (once at the beginning of the growing season and once again toward the middle of the growing season) will encourage a healthy plant.

The best type of fertilizer to use for the yucca plant is one organic and rich in phosphorus.

Do light pruning throughout the growing season and give your plant a more thorough pruning at the end of the growing season (usually early in October), to remove brown leaves.

You can do away with pesky insects through the use of an insecticidal soap spray.

I can’t wait to see when the yucca flowers bloom, and how long they will last. Once all the flowers are gone, I’ll cut the entire stalk right down to its base. Just like removing dead leaves, this will allow the plant to focus energy on new growth.

In closing, I thought I’d tell you that the yucca flower is the state flower of New Mexico.

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News . Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News , which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening, landscaping and nursery communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

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