THE yucca plant is famous for its large spiky leaves sprouting from a woody stem, much like a pineapple patch. It is an eye-catching ‘architectural plant’, a striking focal point in a garden.
Many yucca species are ideal ornamental plants, great for landscaping. The flowers are borne on a tall stalk rising above a clump of erect green leaves. The creamy-white blooms are actually edible, with a subtle sweet taste, and like a cabbage, they can be eaten raw or cooked.
The seeds are formed in pods within the cluster of flowers. The root can also be cooked in soups.
The yucca is from the Asparagaceae family; specifically, from the Agavoideae sub-family.
There are over 50 species of yucca with the majority of them being shrubs; however, some do resemble trees because of their leaves growing on thick cane-like stems.
The yucca is a hardy plant that needs minimal attention once it is established and has lived for a long time, as can be seen from the numerous side shoots that would later on transition into new plants.
In case of any further expansion for removal to a new site, the plant can be dug out easily for successful transfer without losing any leaf.
The yucca plant is native to the hot and dry regions in the Americas and the Caribbean – in this native environment, it can achieve a great height, up of 12 metres. Now, the plant is distributed to various regions with different climatic and ecological conditions.
It entered the local landscape not so long ago, in the housing areas and parks – almost anywhere where people want them. The important point is that this plant thrives well without addition of nutrients.
The plant is suitable, even for indoor decoration although the pot-planted one may not have flowers spiking up. It is a fact that the leaves can collect dew and transfer the moisture to the root system for survival. Each leaf has thick waxy surface to prevent water loss or evaporation when exposed to high temperature. The leaves are able to droop and cover the stem once it requires more hydration.
Propagation
Yucca is propagated by using cut-off pieces from the base of the matured plant. The planting stock, just like the pineapple sucker, removes the lower leaves and sit them in the soil mixture.
The plant requires wet medium, and this can be done by watering it well but not to a point where it gets waterlogged. It will grow well in a potting mix, or a cacti-and-succulent mix.
The soft-leaf variety can be grown in pots for indoor decoration. It is good to refresh it by a ‘resting’ it outdoor in between a few weeks. It is alright to shorten a tall plant by sawing it, to encourage the growth of new plants and at the same time, enable the old stock to regenerate new off-shoots.
Usage
Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Many species also bear edible parts like fruits, seeds, flowers and flower stalks. The root of the plant is edible, and so are the petals, which can be blanched. To note, the yucca bloom is the national flower of El Salvador, and also the state flower of New Mexico, USA.
Types
There are many varieties including the ‘Spineless’ yucca, ‘Adam’s Needle’, ‘Beaked’ yucca, ‘Spanish Dagger’, ‘Yucca aloifolia’, ‘Banana’ yucca and ‘Joshua’ yucca. The ecology of yuccas is much specialised, with mutualistic pollination system, being pollinated by yucca moths, which transfer the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, and at the same time, they lay eggs in the flower that the larvae feed on immediately after hatching.
The yucca species are also the host plant for the caterpillars of several skippers.
Yucca filamentosa, Adam’s Needle and Thread yucca are under the species of flowering plant found in southern United States. They are usually ‘trunkless’, being ‘multi-suckering’ with heads measuring 30 inches long, filamentous with blue-green leaves that are different from other yucca species, which are usually white.
The flower stems can grow up to a height of 10 feet, bearing masses of pendulous cream-coloured flowers. They are popular for landscaping and can grow well even in sandy or clay soils, or in silt too.
They have many cultivars, with yellow margined foliage and cream-coloured flowers. In addition, the plant bears seeds that can be cooked and consumed as food.
Yucca aloifolia
This Spanish bayonet dagger plant can grow up to a height of one metre, with a stem measuring 5cm thick – planted either in a tub or a pot. The trunk ends with a terminal tuft of sharp, pointed dark green leaves, each over 60cm long and 5cm wide. The leaf edges are toothed, making the plant not suitable for pathways; it should be away from any passer-by, lest, the leaves may get hooked into their clothing.
The new leaves are bordered with bicoloured edges, in blue-green and yellow stripes, making the plant a favourite for landscaping or pot-planting.
Happy Gardening!