Yes, once the adult plant blooms it is true that it will eventually go into a gradual decline. But by this point, it will have suckered several other yuccas of respectable size. Thus, they will eventually spread over an area. I would not worry about the eventual demise of the yucca that flowers-- take it rather as a sign of success that your plant is healthy and happy with its location. I'm not sure on this point, but I do believe your variegated suckers will maintain variegation. Being produced asexually, they are genetic clones--identical to the parent plant.

Thanks very much, searching around some more, I actually think my plant is a Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard', looks much more like it.

I just read in the link below that 'Golden Sword' shoots are prone to reversion to the natural green-foliaged form.
I hope 'Color Guard' is not the same.

Probably nobody knows, but if you cut off the emerging new flower stalk will that prevent the Yucca plant from dieing?
Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yucca filamentosa

I would imagine that if the flower stalk comes out of the center growth point that it would terminate either way,but if there is still a growth spear it might work to cut the flower stalk.I agree with njoasis though, it sounds like it is happy, why not let pass over in full flowering glory if its time has come?besides even if it does come back green(which maybe you would prefer it not)its like having two plants for price of one!And the "suckers"will grow exceptionally fast with that main stalk to provide for it,just like bananas do,Good Luck either way.POST SOME PICS!!!!

Thanks everybody, that what I was thinking, if the flower stalk comes up the middle and the Yucca did not produce a new center growth spear then it would likely slowly die off. The Yucca probably also puts a lot of energy into making the huge flower stalk up to 6 to 12 feet tall, which probably makes it decline fast as well. I was just wondering if cutting it off might save energy for the main stem and allow it to keep living. I will have to decide to cut it or not when it gets old enough to make a flower stalk. I might or might not, but I could very well just leave it to grow because the flowers are so nice.
It might have a better chance of keeping its yellow variegation if the yucca grows a short woody stem to sprout back from each year. One idea is if I keep it in part shade for several years it might delay it's flower production while growing a taller stem ("trunk"). Just a thought but the variegation loss might possibly be from the root suckers, it would likely Not loose the variegation from the woody "trunk" stem sprouts.

Here are pictures of my Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' (I think it's 'Color Guard'):
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I love the look of it (the curly threads or "filaments" make it even more cool looking).

Frankly, I don't really understand why you are afraid of letting this plant complete its natural life cycle. Yuccas are very hardy, robust, native American plants that, in time will spread over an area. What you need to keep in mind, is that yuccas sucker READILY. Years ago, I received a Yucca filamentosa pup from my brother. It was growing as a weed beside the house (one of many pups the mother plant was sending out). This one pup has gone on to sucker DOZENS of other mature yuccas which have gone on to flower and produce their own pups (part of their natural cycle). I planted them by my previous house where they dominated a walkway by the south-facing driveway that was too hot and arid for many plants to survive. I took some transplanted yuccas to my new home (along with a specimen of Yucca recurvifolia), where they are once again beginning to dominate a hot driveway/walkway area along the side of the house where the soil is poor and other plants fail. These are NOT such slow, finicky, temperamental plants. Also, once you get into yuccas (yes, they can be addictive and a collector's obsession), you can experiment with different species of yucca. I did note that you mentioned your desire for trunking in your yucca. Filamentosa is NOT a trunking species. Yucca recurvifolia IS a slowing trunking species that is quite readily available in most nurseries (I believe that you can get it in variegated forms). Recurvifolia does NOT have any filaments. It has a higher tolerance for humid, rainy summers and moist soils (it is native to the Southeast USA but is now grown from about 6b south. You could also grow a whole range of yuccas from much more arid
climates particularly if you did not minor soil accommodations. Good luck!

Thanks, yes I know they don't really make a trunk, but as they get older Yucca filamentosa can have a small 1,2, or 3 inch tall "trunk". I already have a wild normal green Yucca filamentosa I brought up from the woods beside the house (has a 2 inch stem or "trunk"), I will be planting the 'Color Guard' next to it. I definitely would not cut the flower stalk off this normal green one.

I'm not really afraid of letting the plant complete its natural life cycle, I just would hate to lose the variation from the flowering that may kill the variegated top. I would rather have the variegation for many years than to lose the variegation from one single flowering. I don't know if the suckers are variegated or not, If the suckers are are then I would definitely let the flower stalk grow. I just had the idea or experiment to see if it would let the main Yucca stem live if it was not starved by the flowers.

Now, I am not an expert on variegation in plants, or plant genetics, but I doubt the yucca should loose its variegation among its cloned offshoots. Why should it? You don't see this happening among other plants that are variegated. Take spider plants, pandanus (screwpines), dracaena, bananas, and variegated bamboos as examples. Their offshoots don't loose their variegation when they produce suckers. I would post your question about potential loss of variegation in the botany forum. PS. Loss of variegation can even occur within the same plant (not its offsets), but usually as a result of lack of adequate sunlight. Good luck!:)

I probably will let it flower, I can always buy a new one if it loss is variegation, but probably not like you said. That would be a good idea, I might post the question in the botany forum some time. Thanks again.

Yuccas generally do not die after flowering (exception: Y. whipplei). The main plant of most agaves dies after flowering, but most produce offsets, seeds, or bulbils so that reproduction is guaranteed. Variegation is usually maintained in yucca offspring, especially the side plants which are offshoots of the main plant from underground rhizomes (thus genetically identical).

Don't know about Y. whipplei, but Y. filimentosa will eventually go into a slow decline and eventually die after flowering. Yes, they do produce numerous suckers which is probably why many people don't even realize that the mother plant has been replaced.

It is very confusing. It does look like Yucca filamentosa dies after flowering. I have seen the plant completely disappear. And thought I had lost it. But it keeps coming back and in the same spot, not off to the side.
According to this article below that is not true.
"All but one species (Y. whipplei) can flower many times (polycarpic) and produce side-shoots to compensate for loss of the apical growing point by its conversion into a flower bud.
Yucca whipplei is the only one to completely die. It does not produce offshoots but rather sets seeds.
Yucca whipplei (Our Lord's Candle) appropriately flowering at Easter in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, April 1995.(see photo) This is the only monocarpic species of Yucca and the flowers are self-fertile. Engelman placed this species in the monotypic genus Hesperoyucca but this synonym does not seem to have been widely adopted. Several subspecies are recognised, of which subsp. whipplei remains as a solitary rosette and so dies after flowering. Other subspecies spread by offsets or via stolons."

Here is a link that might be useful: All about yuccas

not a yucca though

It’s an agave!