Native Plants

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Sunday - May 27, 2007

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pruning, Cacti and Succulents
Title: Care of Spanish Dagger (Yucca treculeana) after blooming
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I live in Austin and have a 5 ft spanish dagger in my backyard. Now that it has bloomed and the flowers have withered in May, should I cut off the center stalk or will it bloom again from the same stalk? Thanks..

ANSWER:

There are several plants known as Spanish Dagger, but the one you have is most likely Yucca treculeana (Don Quixote's lace). Each flowering stalk produces only one set of blooms, so unless you want to collect mature fruits and seeds, go ahead and remove the old flowering stalk.

More botanical information about Spanish Dagger can be had at this link, and to find learn about historical human uses of the plants, click here.

Pictured below is a flowering bud before opening, and after opening.

From the Image Gallery

Spanish dagger
Yucca treculeana